


silver lining

by tdystmr



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, First Impressions, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'll add more as I go along, Jealous Im Jaebum | JB, Jealous Park Jinyoung | Jr., Light Angst, M/M, Masquerade Ball, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Pining, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Possessive Im Jaebum | JB, Princes, Soft Im Jaebum | JB, Sunshine Choi Youngjae, Teasing, Wizards, arranged marriage of sorts, bad ones, bratty yugbam, crown prince!jaebeom, everyone else loves seeing them suffer, happy 7 years with jjp, jaebeom hates it, marriage in general, platonic jackbum, sassy park jinyoung, so does jinyoung, wizard!jinyoung, yugbamjae are best friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2020-03-08 13:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 58,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18895756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tdystmr/pseuds/tdystmr
Summary: silver lining (n.)a consoling aspect of a difficult situation; a hopeful prospectJaebeom had this whole plan figured out - lay low, get the night over and done with and then deal with the rest of it on his own. What he probably should have included in his grand plan was the possibility of the appearance of an unexpected game changer, especially one that came with magic running in his veins and aninterestingcharacter that challenges Jaebeom's own.Jaebeom usually would have no problem getting rid of any other person, no matter how stubborn or rude they might be, but Park Jinyoung isn't like any other person Jaebeom has met in various aspects.Jaebeom can only wish he had been more meticulous in his initial planning.





	1. purple tulipa

**Author's Note:**

> so i'm back! after a long time of planning and drafting and brainstorming, i've come up with this au. it's kind of slower and longer than OATPWY in a few aspects - mainly being the chapters and plot - because i've decided to take more time into writing this more in depth (?) and in detail. 
> 
> forgive me for any plot holes or lack of explanation for some parts as i'm still learning to fully control and create my plot properly, and there's still some things that i'm figuring out as i go so it might get a little messy! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it still, though! feedback is always welcomed. you can hmu on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/tdystmr) or [tumblr](https://tdystmr.tumblr.com/) ! and please don't forget to stream the new album and eclipse <333

 

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In the Castle_ **

 

The second Jaebeom's eyes snap open, Yugyeom is pouncing on him like a lion at its latest unsuspecting prey. The loud rapping on his door a few seconds earlier had awoken him from a wonderful, lucid dream of cherry blossoms, cats and the sunset, which was odd considering he's never seen cherry blossoms in his life. 

The younger of the two grabs the older prince by his broad, satin-clad shoulders and shakes him vigorously, way too awake and energetic for a Monday morning. "Hyung! Hyung! You're finally twenty-five today!"

“Yeah, I  _ know _ , Yugyeom. You only spent half of yesterday screeching it into my ear,” Jaebeom says and he pries the younger prince’s hands off his shoulders and lets his tired body flop back onto the bed. The black, silky sheets feel like they’re calling him back to bed and Jaebeom is tempted to just kick Yugyeom off the bed and snuggle into the blankets for an hour longer. 

“Then why aren’t you up yet? Didn’t Father tell you that we have to go for breakfast with the King and Queen in Dianthus?”  _ Wait, what? Dianthus?  _ Jaebeom jolts up, his lower back protesting from the sudden movement but Jaebeom ignores the dull pain in favour of tossing his covers aside.  _ Fuck, Dianthus.  _

“What time is it?” he asks while he makes quick work of his shirt. He casts a glance at the bathroom - would it be too late to take a shower? Yet, going there without one would really look bad on him and his family. 

“Half past seven,” 

“ _ Half past seven _ ? You really-” Jaebeom picks up his discarded shirt and whips it at Yugyeom, who shrieks and ducks, his bony arms coming up to protect his head from Jaebeom’s wrath. “Why’d you wake me up so early? Weren’t we supposed to leave at nine or something? That’s a good hour and a half away, you idiot,” 

Yugyeom picks up Jaebeom's shirt with his fingertips and wrinkles his nose, even though they both know Jaebeom doesn't smell, and tosses it on the floor back at Jaebeom's feet. "If I told you the time, you would've stayed in bed till eight-thirty and then Mother would have to come in here herself to wake you up. Plus, she spent all morning making a cake for you so you should probably go down soon, hyung," 

“At least wake me up at eight next time. I hardly get to sleep in,” Jaebeom grumbles as he bends down to pick up his shirt again, the poor article getting tossed around so carelessly for nothing. 

“Well, you better get used to it, hyung. Once you find your spouse tonight and become King, you’ll have to spend the rest of your years waking up with the sun,” Yugyeom snickers. Jaebeom growls but says nothing because Yugyeom is right.

“Don’t you have to get ready to leave, too?” Jaebeom asks, pulling out a fresh pair of breeches and a crisp, ironed shirt along with matching trousers. 

Yugyeom hops off the bed and shrugs. “You’re the Crown Prince, not me. I don’t have to look like a King, you do. Come down soon, hyung, or I might eat your share of the cake!” the younger says before he shuts the door behind him.

_ Right - crown prince, the future king. I guess I should be dressing better from now on,  _ Jaebeom thinks as he returns the plain, sky blue set he’d chosen earlier. Instead, he chooses a black and gold ensemble that only feels slightly more uncomfortable with its extra layer of embellishments. He holds it up against his body and looks in the mirror.  _ A King should dress like this, right?  _

A King only ever has time for himself once his people and the kingdom are taken care of, no matter how tiring and bothersome it may be sometimes. A King should lay on his life on the line for his subjects, be it ten thousand or ten. A King should know and carry out his responsibilities for the people. A King should do this, a King should do that.

A King should do many things, but Jaebeom isn't sure if he's all that ready to be one just yet. Sure, he's been preparing his whole life just for the role - endless lessons and meetings and trips tailored just for him to one day be fit to take over the throne - and there's no doubt in his mind that this is what he wants. However, knowing it was inevitable and actually dealing with it are two separate things.

Then, there’s also the whole ‘choosing a spouse’ thing that Jaebeom is nowhere  _ near  _ interested in. Call him a romantic or cheesy or whatever it is, but Jaebeom thinks this idea of making him choose someone to  _ marry  _ in one night is highly illogical. 

First of all, he barely knows a quarter of the people his father has invited. Even if he did, their one and only encounter was probably at some party a few years back when Jaebeom still found joy in drinking himself silly and sneaking a few kisses in from the willing parties before his father would whisk him back home. He’s all grown up now and none of that matters to him anymore, not when he rather keep to his own thoughts and hide in the comfort of his own mind. 

Secondly, his perception of love is more of a classic one. Two people should always have the chance and time to let their feelings blossom into something beautiful, not have to rush it all into one night, much less make a life-changing decision.

Last but definitely not the least, he has  _ standards _ . While he doesn’t mean that the nobles in the land and neighbouring kingdoms are exactly low standard, don’t get him wrong, he  _ knows  _ how rich and capable these people are. However, he has a certain type that none of the people he knows fit.

He needs conversation - actual deep, meaningful ones that create connections and not surface ones that the people here only seem interested in. He needs,  _ craves _ , the reality and intensity of truly falling in love and not some drunk confession just for the sake of it. Secretly, Jaebeom also wonders what it’s like to be with someone whom he can bare his whole soul to; he’s read in books and watched plays about romance and the thrill of belonging to someone fully and... it’s such a beautiful and fascinating thing that he can’t help but be inquisitive about.

Hence, he’s not into the idea of choosing a spouse at all. But of course, he’s still going through with it for the sake of appeasing his father and the kingdom. On the other hand, it also doesn’t mean that he has to _fully_ _comply_ with it, no. He's made a simple plan - play it low-key the whole night and stay under the radar for as long as possible until it's deemed an appropriate time for him to sneak back up to his room with the excuse of ‘a long night'. 

There’s still the whole problem of how he’s going to be coronated without a spouse, but Jaebeom prefers to deal with one problem at a time. It’s not the best of his plans but it’ll have to suffice, especially since it  _ is  _ happening in the matter of a few hours.

He goes into the bathroom and shuts the door behind him heavily. “Let’s just pray this works out,” Jaebeom whispers to himself, silently crossing his fingers as he sends a prayer up to the heavens.

 

* * *

 

**_Alstroemeria Woods, by the borders of Paean_ **

 

Jinyoung is excited. Like, thrilled, over-the-top kind of enthusiastic, and it’s out of character for him but in his defence, it  _ is _ a special occasion. In fact, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and Jinyoung’s been up and about since the crack of dawn, buzzing between the woods and back just to ease his restlessness. 

He’s gathered enough material for two week’s worth of potions, firewood for a good month or so and loads of natural energy to recharge his ruins. The intricate, dark-blue lines that run down his forearms and curl around his fingers are now a deeper and more defined shade, the dark tone contrasting starkly with his pale, white skin. 

He's on his third trip back, humming a cheerful song that seems to ring out in the quietness of the woods. The sun's golden rays peek in between the gaps in the leaves and cast moving shadows on the grass-covered floor; a light, occasional breeze that blows past and sends the fallen leaves rustling in its wake. It's a beautiful morning - one of the best Jinyoung's seen this season, in fact - and he can't help but walk with a spring in his step back home. 

“Hyung! I’m back,” he declares when he swings the wooden door open and steps into the cosiness of the house carved out of an old tree’s trunk. The tree itself looks average, slightly larger and stumpier than normal but otherwise pretty ordinary. The interior, however, is nothing short of magical.

The place where a thick trunk should be is completely hollowed out, leaving only a wall of bark to surround it. Taecyeon had cast a spell when they’d first moved in years ago to expand the room, making it more of an actual living room than the inside of a tree. Then they had divided it into respective rooms and even managed to grow up another platform for a second level with an old spell Taecyeon had learnt. 

It's plenty warm in the winter and cool enough for the summer heat. Plus, the spacious rooms give them enough storage for their ingredients and such so Jinyoung kinda loves this house the most out of their previous ones. 

“You went out again? How are you not tired after yesterday’s journey? My legs are killing me,” the older wizard grumbles from his spot on the couch. His long legs are stretched out and placed on the messy coffee table, books, pen and paper scattered all over it.  _ He must've been practising the spells for later again,  _ Jinyoung thinks as he eyes Taecyeon’s messy scrawls over the yellowed parchment.

“I’ll make some of that herbal stuff for you if you like. We have more than enough ingredients anyway,” Jinyoung offers as he sets down the basket in his hand. It contains fresh berries, edible leaves and flowers and his favourite - cherry blossoms. 

He's been planning to make it into a perfume for its bittersweet, elegant scent that he loves. It's rare to find cherry blossoms in their kingdom, so Jinyoung had gone out of the kingdom a few months back to buy a young tree to plant somewhere in the woods. It was one of the prized possessions that he treasured. 

“Really? You? Park Jinyoung? Cook  _ me  _ something? Is this a prank? What’s gotten into you today? Are you sick?” Taecyeon asks, immediately standing up and walking to him, placing a gentle hand on his forehead.

Jinyoung scowls and swats it away. “I’m being  _ nice  _ so do you want me to cook it or not? I have things to do after this,” 

“Yes, please. But for real, what put you in such a good mood today? Is it the ball?” Taecyeon asks as he picks up a blueberry and pops it into his mouth.

“I guess. It’s my first time going into the castle since we moved here so I’m pretty excited for it and there’s also all those new spells you taught me so I really want it to go well,” Jinyoung confesses while he pours water into an empty pot and sets it over a flame. 

“It is a big event,” Taecyeon agrees, watching Jinyoung cut up the herbs. “But I’ve seen you cast those spells for a month, Jinyoung-ah. I know you’re gonna do amazing, so don’t stress out about it, okay? From a master to his apprentice,” Taecyeon assures, patting Jinyoung on the head like an older brother to his sibling instead.

Jinyoung supposes in some way they are like that since Taecyeon basically raised him since he found Jinyoung on the streets when the latter was fifteen and abandoned. That was ten years ago - ten years of learning and casting spells, the art of mixing potions, moving from kingdom to kingdom with Taecyeon and meeting countless different characters, discovering his passion and making memories that he holds close to his heart till this day. 

Throughout it all, Taecyeon’s been raising him and protecting him more than his own family ever had before they left him. And so Jinyoung lets his words bring him comfort, lets Taecyeon’s huge hand muss up his neatly styled brown hair even though he usually hates it when someone does that. 

“Alright, I won’t. Go sit down and put some ointment on your legs, I’ll bring the soup over in a bit,” Jinyoung says, patting Taecyeon back on the shoulder. The older hums in reply, walking away and leaving Jinyoung with his own thoughts. He expertly dices the freshly plucked leaves and throws them into the boiling water, smiling in satisfaction as the water quickly turns into a dark shade of brown.

In the meantime, he pulls out a mortar and pestle and crushes the cherry blossom petals, the aroma filling his nostrils as he inhales deeply.  _ I should wear this to the ball later, _ Jinyoung thinks to himself as he pours in water into a smaller pot. He tosses in the crushed petals and watches the liquid turn the faintest shade of pink 

“What’s that smell? It isn’t the herbal soup, right?” Taecyeon asks, casting a look at Jinyoung.

Jinyoung shakes his head. “It’s cherry blossom perfume for later. You think your herbs smell this good?”

“Wow, making perfume even? Park Jinyoung, really going all out today, huh?” Taeyeon teases. Jinyoung snorts in reply as he lifts up the lid and gives the herbal soup a good stir while it boils. “Aren’t you dressing up, too? Besides, we  _ have  _ to. It’s a masquerade ball,” 

“And that is why you should probably finish up your mask that’s been sitting on your table for weeks,” Taecyeon points out.

Jinyoung’s head shoots up and they lock eyes - Taecyeon’s ever so amused stare and Jinyoung’s scowl. “You went into my room? What about our rules, hyung?” 

“Relax, I didn’t. Well, not really? I was kinda looking for a book for reference and I thought you might have it and well...it was just lying there and I saw it,” Taecyeon says, shrugging. 

“Well, I’m almost done-! I just need to add on some crushed pearls and gold and it’ll be better than yours, hyung. Watch me,” Jinyoung retorts. Taecyeon only laughs and Jinyoung huffs, turning off the fire for his perfume. He strains the liquid into a small bowl, tossing the now white flower petals away. 

"The soup will be ready in an hour, drink some yourself. I'm gonna go do some last minute practice and y'know...finish up my mask," Jinyoung mumbles the last part. He grabs the bowl and makes a quick break for his room so Taecyeon can't tease him, though the older man's laughter is heard from behind him. 

He sighs to himself when he’s finally in the privacy of his own room, muttering something under his breath about meddling, sneaky hyungs, though he doesn’t mean it one bit. He sets down the bowl and picks a delicate perfume bottle from his shelf of odds and ends, carefully tipping in the liquid. He only lets out a breath of relief once all the contents are safely in the bottle and he screws the cap on tightly, satisfied with his work. 

_ Is this going overboard?  _ He wonders as he glances at the half-finished mask lying on his table and the outfit for the night hanging by the side of his bed. 

_ But then again, it  _ is  _ the biggest ball of the year. I mean, the Crown Prince is picking his spouse and everything and we’re there as performers so we should dress the part, right?  _ Jinyoung tries to reason with himself as he chooses some iridescent pearls to crush for decoration. 

He grabs the pestle and easily smashes the pretty pearls into fine dust, which he mixes with some crushed gold dragon scales that reflect the yellow lighting of his desk. Then, he mumbles a quick binding spell and dusts the mixture over his plain, blue mask, covering the edges and swirls in the shimmery substance. It creates a captivating contrast with the deep, cerulean blue of his mask that Taecyeon had attained for him from one of the shops in Paean. 

He glances over at his outfit and he can’t resist it. He holds the mask up to his face and grabs the ensemble with his other hand, holding it up to his body as he looks into the mirror and...even he has to admit that blue  _ is  _ a good colour on him. 

He shuts his eyes and the scene immediately comes to his mind - a grandiose, resplendent ballroom with high ceilings and polished marble floors, debonair men and elegant women with scrumptious food on gold platters served with fine wine. Classical music plays in the background and people marvel at the enchanting spells he and Taecyeon cast during their segment, which is the centre of attention for all the nobles at the ball. 

The King and Queen would smile upon them with pride and approbation for their skill and maybe, they’d even get a chance to perform again in the future. Maybe, they would be offered some jobs here and there and that’s all Jinyoung has ever wanted - to be recognised and appreciated for this skill that he’d spent years honing, this talent that had taken time to flourish into what he has today. 

The thought of achieving that  _ tonight,  _ in a matter of a few hours, sparks a heat low in his belly that bubbles up into anticipation and makes him feel slightly dizzy. He looks in the mirror again, right into the eyes of his own reflection.

_ This is going to go well.  _

 

* * *

 

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In the Castle_ **

 

Nothing is going well for Jaebeom today.

Firstly, the breakfast with the royal family of Dianthus had gone  _ horribly _ . He'd spilt his tea all over the table cloth due to a horrible joke Yugyeom had cracked at the wrong time, resulting in him losing it mid-sip. Then, he'd forgotten of the prince's names and spent the whole time skirting around addressing him directly, which wouldn't have been so bad if Jaebeom hadn't accidentally called him ‘Curly-haired blondie' in front of everyone. 

Secondly, his father has been on his heels all afternoon ever since the morning’s slip up. His father had chalked it up to nerves, though Jaebeom knows the King is not that dense and knows that something is wrong. He’s been keeping a watchful eye on Jaebeom ever since, always ready to correct his son at the slightest thing.

Thirdly, Jaebeom doesn’t  _ know why _ he’s being all jittery and out of it. He knows it’s not about the ball - not the dancing or meeting people, at least. It’s this feeling he has deep in his gut that twists it into a hard knot that won’t go away no matter how much he tries to calm himself down.

It’s a feeling that he can’t identify but he just  _ knows  _ that something is going to happen that night and he won’t be able to do anything about it when it does. It bugs him like a thorn under his skin, an itch he can’t reach and it’s putting him more on edge than he’d like. 

Even Yugyeom, who has always been observant and there to help, came up to him earlier and asked Jaebeom what was bothering him. His younger brother may be a brat but he’s a good kid and Jaebeom would rather die than worry him unnecessarily so he had smiled and told Yugyeom the same thing his father thought - that Jaebeom was just nervous for the big night. 

It feels bad lying but Jaebeon doesn’t exactly know the truth, either, so he supposes this is all he can offer for the time being. Usually, he’ll have Jackson here to reason with, Youngjae to cheer him up with his brilliant smile or even Yugyeom to sit with but all of them are busy running around the castle and preparing for the ball. Hence, Jaebeom is left alone in the confines of his own room until he has to get ready.

Which comes to number four on Jaebeom’s list of ‘Things that make today shitty’ - he’s  _ bored to death.  _ His mind won’t stop wandering to the possible, horrible things that can happen later because of this boredom and it’s not helping that there’s nothing to do in the castle. 

When he was young, he had found joy in exploring the seemingly never-ending corridors and vast gardens with Yugyeom trailing behind him. They were two kids dressed in their oversized breeches as they ran along the hallways and disappeared into doors, always discovering something new in their adventures. 

Back then, the castle was always filled with sweet innocent laughter and untethered hearts that were ever so curious. But time has passed and they’ve grown into men with their own responsibilities, though they’re still as close as ever. 

That’s also a reason why Jaebeom feels a little more down than usual today - Yugyeom. What’s he supposed to do with his dear baby brother once he becomes King? There’s no way in hell that Jaebeom will let him join the military division, even though the younger possesses all the physical qualities to become a capable knight. There’s also no way in hell that Yugyeom would enjoy following Jaebeom and his spouse ( if he has one ) on their trips to neighbouring kingdoms. 

Hell, it’s not just Yugyeom he has to worry about. What about his parents? What about Jackson, or Youngjae, or Bambam? What about the  _ people? _ He’s not even King yet, but the lack of entertainment has allowed his brain to wander so far and deeply that he’s fretting over the uncertain future already. 

Then finally,  _ thank God _ , a servant is knocking on his door and telling him that he should get dressed. He immediately recognises the voice and smiles, shouting for them to come in.

Bambam and Youngjae excitedly scurry in, each holding various articles of Jaebeom’s outfit for the night. Yugyeom is behind them, a wide grin on his face. “I can’t  _ believe  _ you’re gonna become King, Jaebeom hyung!” 

“Yeah, me neither, Youngjae-ah. It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it? After so long of waiting,” Jaebeom replies, a small smile on his face as he lets Bambam and Youngjae strip him to his breeches.

“You’re so lucky, getting to dress up in all of this,” Bambam whines as he gestures to Jaebeom’s custom coat and shirt. 

It’s a smooth, black material with maroon roses embroidered all over, the outfit contrasting with Yugyeom’s white and gold piece. Jaebeom thinks it’s quite fitting for them - since Jaebeom has always been the more brooding type in comparison to his bubbly, lively younger brother. 

“All we get to dress in is  _ this, _ ” Bambam scoffs as he points to his own outfit - a simple white coat over a black and silver shirt with a white cravat to top it all off. Youngjae laughs as he helps Jaebeom slide on his coat.

“You added the silver on your own, is that not good enough?” Youngjae asks. Bambam pouts, shaking his head while he ties Jaebeom’s own cravat in place. 

“No way. The nobles are gonna look so much better in their outfits, I wish we could wear our own. I already planned out this stunning item that would shame everyone else’s, even yours, Jaebeom hyung,”

Jaebeom raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. If it were someone else, he would have sent them away for speaking out of place. However, this is Bambam and Youngjae he's speaking to. They grew up in the castle the way he and Yugyeom did - the four of them becoming friends over the years, which was often looked down upon considering they were servants who were friends with princes. 

“Well, I think Jaebeom hyung looks quite  _ dashing  _ for once. I wonder how many women would fall at his feet today,” Yugyeom teases as he joins them. Jaebeom grins shyly, the rare compliment making him slightly embarrassed, especially since it’s from Yugyeom. 

“Or men. I wouldn’t mind having two kings,” Youngjae offhandedly comments. Jaebeom nearly chokes, his cheeks flushing a bright pink. It’s not that his sexuality is a secret to the kingdom ( there’s a reason why it’s called ‘choosing a spouse’ not ‘choosing a wife’ ) but he definitely isn’t used to it being discussed openly.

“Oh, have you heard about the two wizards coming to perform today? I heard they’re  _ really  _ good. Maybe one of them will cast a love spell over you and you’ll end up marrying a non-noble,” Bambam says.

“Is that even allowed? I assumed the whole point of holding a ball was to make sure it was a noble, not some random looker in town,” Youngjae replies. The talk of it all makes Jaebeom flush even further and he coughs abruptly, eyes tearing up on reflex.

“Woah, hyung. Are you crying? Relax, we were just kidding,” Yugyeom jokes. Jaebeom fixes him a glare as he calms down and regains his breathing.

“You three need to stop planning my relationship right in front of me and help me get ready. It’s half an hour till the guests arrive and  _ none  _ of us can afford to be late,” Jaebeom reminds. He quickly adjusts his coat and slips on his black, leather shoes. 

“What hairstyle would you like today, good sir?” Bambam coos, acting all professional-like as he grabs a tub of wax and a comb for Jaebeom’s messy strands of brown. “Just get on with it, please? Whatever goes well with the mask and crown, Bam,” he huffs.

Bambam grins, a little devilishly. “Your wish is my command,” 

In a quick ten minutes of tugging and patting down, Jaebeom’s usually frizzy, messy strands are straightened out and combed back into a slicked style, which gives him a fierce, chic look. Paired with the red gemstone earrings that line his ears and the light gloss of pink on his lips made by Bambam, he figures he actually looks  _ not bad. _ The mask - a clean, white and gold item with intricate carvings that stretches on the right to cover half of his face down to his lips - is quickly put on.

Youngjae lets out a low whistle when everything is done. Jaebeom himself is pretty surprised. He can hardly recognise himself in the mirror and the thought scares him just the slightest, yet it excites him in a way he can’t shake off. That weird feeling is back again, even stronger than before now that the ball is nearing, and it stirs up a swirl of butterflies in his stomach. He bites his lip, shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, letting the air enter his lungs fully before releasing it in a shaky exhale.

“Your crown, hyung,” Yugyeom says solemnly when he opens his eyes. Jaebeom wordlessly bows his head and Yugyeom carefully sets it on his head, the polished silver catching the golden sun rays and glimmering atop the dark strands of brown. “You look just as kingly as Father,” 

Jaebeom doesn’t know if the comparison brings him comfort or worsens the nerves. All he knows is that he can’t wait for the night to be over. 

 

* * *

 

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In the Grand Ballroom_ **

 

“May I have everyone’s attention, please!” The King’s loud, deep voice booms through the whole ballroom from his spot at the top of the grand, red-carpeted stairs. Everyone’s heads swivel to his direction, all listening attentively. Everyone has just arrived at the grand ballroom and are still buzzing with the excitement of finally being there. 

“Today, we have two very special guests that have travelled from afar to come to my son’s coming-of-age ball and they are here to give us a very spectacular show of magic. Please welcome the honourable wizards - Taecyeon and Jinyoung!” Once his name leaves the King’s lips, Jinyoung feels his heart leap in his chest, feels his blood rush wildly. 

"Don't be nervous. Just like we practised," Taecyeon whispers to him, squeezing his shoulder one last time before he removes the invisibility spell cast over them and reveals them standing in the middle of the room to everyone. They have matching cloaks on - thick, black and silver ones that reach below Jinyoung's knees and cover most of his outfit. 

There isn’t time to think now, only to act. Taecyeon walks to the right and Jinyoung mirrors him, the two casting a smoke spell that leaves coloured fumes trailing behind them. The background music starts up as arranged and Taecyeon nods to him once the note changes into a minor key. Jinyoung huffs and rapidly mumbles spells under his breath, causing ice to coat the floor around them. The crowd gasps in awe as they watch them work their magic, entranced.

Taecyeon sprouts flowers of ice and water from Jinyoung’s creation, the stone cold stems and petals curling around them as it forms a cage-like structure. Jinyoung reaches into his pocket and grabs two small vials, each containing some crushed pearls and coloured pigment with a single dragon scale. He tosses them up and they explode into blinding, mini-fireworks that fill the room with a faint smell of sulfur.

Taecyeon is busy making his own version of fireworks - snowflakes that burst into glitter once struck with tiny zaps of electricity shooting from Taecyeon’s fingers. They catch each other’s gaze and Taecyeon grins, Jinyoung shooting back a nervous half-smile now that the performance is halfway through. 

Jinyoung walks to the centre of the structure and stamps his foot - once, twice, thrice - muttering a crystallisation spell as he goes. Thorns of ice shoot out all at once, scintillating with a white light despite the yellow shine of the chandelier hanging above them. Taecyeon produces a bouquet of roses - dark, crimson red petals and he blows on them once, a powerful gust of wind building up and scattering the petals. 

They land on the sculpture and melt into the ice, tainting the ice with blotches of red that bleed into the thorns. The key changes again and it's a major key this time, signalling the finale of the show. Jinyoung grabs the final vial in his pocket - a slimy, purple liquid and tosses it to Taecyeon, who catches it swiftly with one hand. 

The older wizard produces a wand and lightly taps the vial. Jinyoung watches in awe along with the rest of the crowd as Taecyeon floats the liquid into the middle of the cage, where everyone can see it. It’s dead silent now, the nobles all watching with anticipation for what would happen next. 

Taecyeon grins as he lets the liquid form into a tiny ball before he completely lets it fall. It lands with a splat and the whole structure turns into diamond in the blink of an eye; Jinyoung gasps despite seeing it loads of times before. It really is interesting to see magic from an outsider's perspective after working with it for so long. 

Taecyeon beckons him over and they take a bow, the crowd erupting into thunderous applause. Jinyoung can’t help the lightness in his steps and grin on his face as he catches the eye of the Queen, who nods proudly in his direction.  _ Good job, Park Jinyoung.  _

"Thank you for that marvellous showcase. Your gift will be displayed in our garden as a sign of recognition and gratitude. I am sure my son deeply appreciates it. Please do enjoy the rest of the ball," The King addresses them. 

The King then wraps an arm around the Crown Prince, who’s dressed in a fitting black and red outfit that Jinyoung can’t tear his eyes off for some reason, and turns to the crowd. “And may everyone do the same. I am sure you all know the purpose of tonight’s ball, so may the best win the hand and heart of my dear son. Let the ball begin!”  

At the King’s command, the music starts back up and people go back to their own business, filling up the ballroom with the sounds of laughter and chatter. “Then I’ll see you - later,” Taecyeon bids with a wink. 

Jinyoung grabs him by the collar before he can run off. “What time is later, exactly? The journey back isn’t the shortest or the most convenient,” 

“Relax, Jinyoung, I got it. I’ll meet you by the entrance by half past midnight at the latest. Try to loosen up and enjoy yourself for once. It  _ is  _ a ball, after all,” Taecyeon winks again before stalking off, immediately disappearing into the sea of fancy dresses and suits. Jinyoung sighs and mimics Taecyeon’s words childishly, already dreading the journey back later with a drunk Taecyeon to carry. 

He scans the room and his eyes light up when he catches sight of the gold platters displayed on a long table at the corner of the huge ballroom.  _ Bingo.  _ Jinyoung makes a beeline over, nodding and smiling as he zips in between nobles who turn to whisper as he passes. He pays no attention to them, though.

Instead, he picks up a plate and piles it with the delicious spread made by in King’s very own kitchen. There’s a generous amount of caviar on his plate and enough roasted duck for two by the time he leaves the table to look for a quiet, comfortable spot along the sides where he can enjoy his meal in silence. 

When it comes to social gatherings like these, Jinyoung is definitely more of a wallflower than the flirtatious, party animal Taecyeon is. He likes keeping to his own thoughts and company rather than striking up cheap conversation with some stranger who usually has other intentions that Jinyoung hardly cares for. 

Besides, he's a wizard, not a dancer. He has zero ideas on how the women here can even move three steps in their puffy dresses and killer high heels, much less  _ dance.  _ He would only make a fool of himself if he were to even attempt a song on the dance floor. 

The music, however, is quite enjoyable to his ears. He hums along softly as he chews, lightly tapping his foot in time with the beat as he watches the nobles twirl around gracefully. He’s on his second shrimp cocktail when someone approaches him, just when he thought he was finally going to have a night alone. 

“Good evening, good sir. You look pretty lonely for someone as handsome as you,” the lady coos, hiding her face behind a showy fan that frankly makes her look ridiculous in Jinyoung’s opinion. Her friend seems to find it amazingly amusing and giggles behind an equally tasteless fan and Jinyoung has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Good evening to you too, ladies. To what do I owe this honour of being approached by such fine women on this lovely night?” Jinyoung tries not to gag at himself and fixes them his best million-dollar smile he can muster.

The one with the dirty blonde curls that look like a poodle’s fur on her head swoons and blushes heavily, while her friend giggles like a schoolgirl again. “We were just wondering if you would like to have a dance. It would be a pity if a charming man like you got stolen away by some other ladies here,” 

_ Some other ladies? Please, I have standards that not even you can meet,  _ Jinyoung scoffs in his head. Instead, he gracefully swoops into a deep bow ( thanks to Taecyeon’s constant reminders on being polite to their customers ) and delicately holds Dirty Blonde’s hand. 

“Perhaps another time, my lady. I fear I do not have time for a dance tonight for I have to wait for someone, but I am sure all the other men would be very lucky and willing to dance with a woman like yourself,” he says, placing a light kiss atop her gloved hand. It smells of pungent perfume and he resists the urge to wrinkle his nose in distaste.

“Another time, then. May I ask who it is you are waiting for?” she replies, an air of jealousy in her voice that makes Jinyoung’s lips curl up in the slightest of smirks.  _ These nobles are so easy to charm, no wonder their prince is choosing his spouse in the matter of a night.  _

“Just a friend of mine,”

“Really? Perhaps you would like to invite him to dance with us, too, when he arrives. That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Dirty Blonde turns to her friend, who nods vigorously. Jinyoung is beginning to think all she knows how to do is laugh and agree. He’s also starting to panic just a little because getting caught in a lie by a noble at a party  _ full  _ of nobles is never a good idea. 

“I would be honoured to dance with you and Lady Ahn, but Jinyoung and I have some other business to attend to in a short while. My apologies, Lady Min,” A new voice - a low, polite one, cuts in just as Jinyoung is about to let another lie spew from his lips. 

“Prince Mark! Of course, we understand. Have a good evening, Your Highness,” Lady Min bids, face flushing even deeper. Jinyoung waves her and Lady Ahn off with a tight smile before turning to the stranger. 

The brown haired  _ Prince Mark  _ is already looking at him curiously. “Thank you so much, Your Highness…?” Jinyoung attempts.

The Prince’s laughter is sweet and melodic, a few high ‘ _ ha ha’ _ s that he hides behind a bony, pale hand. He vaguely reminds Jinyoung of a vampire - pale skin, sharp teeth and all. To add on to that effect, he’s dressed in velvety red and black from head to toe, save for the glittery silver and crimson mask that covers his handsome face.

“Please, call me Mark. I have a feeling we might become friends after this ball my uncle insisted on holding,” Mark offers Jinyoung a smile and a handshake. 

Mark’s grip is surprisingly strong and Jinyoung lets a surprised laugh escape his lips.  _ Perhaps today won’t so bad, after all _ . “It is my honour, Mark-ssi. May I ask how you know of such a humble person like myself?” 

“Please, Jinyoung-ssi. Spare me the sweet talk you gave those ladies, I know you aren’t like that.” Mark lowers his voice just an octave and it sends a strange but not unwelcome shiver down Jinyoung’s spine. “Besides, I  _ am  _ a prince, as you said. I have my ways, Park Jinyoung-ssi,” 

He grins, a little sheepish but otherwise without a hint of regret or shyness. “Call me Jinyoung, please. And we just met, don’t go exposing me like this right in front of all the nobles. I have a reputation to uphold, thank you,” 

“A reputation, hmm? I’m sure, considering that spectacular show earlier,” Mark comments as he sips his wine. Jinyoung’s eyes trail the press of his lips to the glass and the bob of his Adam’s apple right after.  _ What the fuck, Park Jinyoung? Stop it, he’s a prince, for fucks’ sake. Calm down.  _

“Alas, I was hoping to keep my identity hidden the whole night,” Jinyoung sighs, faking disappointment.

“Oh yeah? What for? I naturally assumed  _ everyone  _ who came for Jaebeommie’s birthday ball would be up for a good time with all the wine and food his father prepared, and being a wizard would  _ definitely  _ be a good topic for conversation,” 

“Jaebeom..mie? You mean the Crown Prince?” Jinyoung asks.

"Im Jaebeom, didn't you know? You looked like a law-abiding citizen, Jinyoung," Mark teases, nudging Jinyoung's shoulders with his narrow ones. Jinyoung lets himself stumble and lets out a light chuckle. He likes Mark, he thinks. 

“I live on the borders, in Alstroemeria Woods with my hyung. Today was a one-time kinda thing so other than this, I’ve never really been in Paean,” 

Mark raises an eyebrow again, lips curling into an intrigued smile. “Really? Could have fooled me for a noble any day. You look more like a prince than Yugyeommie does,” 

“Yugyeommie?” Jinyoung asks. Mark nods and points to a tall, young man clad in a cream white and gold suit who’s standing in the middle of the dance floor. He’s talking to a group of nobles and his crown - a silver, effulgent ring of metal that sits atop his ash grey hair - shines brilliantly in the light cast by the chandelier. “Is he another prince?” 

“Yeah, the younger son of the royal family. His mother married the King once Jaebeom’s mom had died when Jaebeom was barely a month old. Yugyeommie’s a good kid and Jaebeom dotes on him like crazy, though Yugyeom can be quite the brat. Come on, I’ll introduce you,” Mark bids. 

Jinyoung figures he doesn’t really mind because first, who else is there to talk to at this boring ball? Second, after meeting Mark, maybe meeting someone else might not be  _ that  _ bad. Hence, he nods and follows Mark, allowing the other man to lead him. 

“Gyeom-ah! Come over here for a second,” Mark calls out affectionately to his younger cousin once they near. They have had to squeeze through the many couples dancing around and Jinyoung was pretty sure he had stepped on someone’s toes a few seconds ago, but they were gone before he could apologise. 

“Yeah? I was just talking to the sisters from the Kingdom of Papaver and they  _ really  _ seem to like my lame jokes so if this isn’t important, I’d  _ really  _ like to go back right now.” Yugyeom talks at the rate of a machine gun firing aimlessly and Jinyoung is surprised when Mark actually picks up on all of that.

Mark completely disregards his pleas and turns to Jinyoung, as calm as he pleases.“Meet Park Jinyoung, the fine wizard you were admiring earlier for his performance,” 

“Oh! Nice to meet you, Jinyoung-ssi. I’m Prince Im Yugyeom, of Paean. Don’t worry, not  _ the  _ Prince - I’m his younger brother,” Yugyeom bubbly introduces himself as if he hadn’t been begging to be excused a second ago. Jinyoung shakes his hand a little cautiously. 

“I think you’ll find me a lot more friendly than my dear brother. He likes to brood and grumble all the time,” Yugyeom says with a grin that he exchanged with Mark. Jinyoung simply nods, not really sure how to react.

Whereas Mark makes him feel relaxed and welcomed, Yugyeom makes him feel like he’s about to either be thrown into a pit of fire or talk to a toddler for the rest of the day. He isn’t sure which is worse. 

“I was telling him what a brat you could be although Jaebeommie still dotes on you like crazy,” Mark comments, turning to Jinyoung and subtly nodding to him.  _ Even a prince is helping you start a conversation. Just relax and talk like you did with Mark and those two ladies.  _

“How old are you, Yugyeom-ssi? I know Prince Jaebeom is twenty-five today, but the age gap shouldn’t be too big for you two to be close, right?” Jinyoung doesn’t know why the hell he asked such a lame question but thankfully, the two princes are kind enough not to point it out. 

"I'm twenty-two - pretty young still if you ask me. Definitely, younger than our Mark hyung over here," Yugyeom teases as he loops an arm through Mark's. 

“Don’t go calling me old when your brother is basically a grandfather all the time. I may be a  year older than him but I swear, he acts like my father,” Mark says to Jinyoung. 

“Is that so? He doesn’t seem like the kind to. I always assumed our Crown Prince was this stoic, cool-headed person,” Jinyoung replies. It’s true, especially from what he had seen earlier. The Crown Prince had barely flinched or reacted in front of the crowd, even when his father had basically offered up his hand in marriage to everyone in the room. 

“Ah, don’t be fooled by Jaebeom hyung. He’s only like that to intimidate people. He’s actually a really soft,  _ old man  _ once you know him,” Yugyeom reassures. He looks to Mark, who has a wicked glint in his eye as he nods to Yugyeom. “In fact, do you want to meet him? He should be around here somewhere,” 

“Ah, no, it’s actually fine. I wouldn’t want-”

“Oh! Bingo,” Yugyeom singsongs with his finger pointing in the direction of Jinyoung’s left, back to the buffet line where he was a few minutes ago. “Let’s go, Jinyoung-ssi,”

“I  _ really  _ wouldn’t want to-” Jinyoung starts, only to get cut off by Mark tugging him along by the elbow as Yugyeom lightly nudges him along. Jinyoung sighs and lets himself be pushed along, having no choice but to let the two princes have their way.

“Hyung! Hyung! Look who we met,” Yugyeom calls excitedly once they near Prince Jaebeom. Said man looks up from stuffing his face with a chicken puff pastry, hastily chewing and swallowing the remaining bits before licking his lips clean. It’s hardly effective in ridding his pink lips of the oily sheen but  _ definitely  _ effective in catching Jinyoung’s attention. 

_ Has our Crown Prince always looked so handsome?  _ Jinyoung wonders as he takes in Jaebeom’s face. His mask is removed and Jinyoung is thankful for it since the accessory would have hidden the Prince’s piercing eyes and sharp nose. He has a clean, cutting jawline and the most perfect cupid’s bow Jinyoung has ever seen. He fixes Jinyoung with a patronising smile, those salmon lips pressing into a thin line that feels more like a grimace. 

"Good evening, Jinyoung-ssi. I'm very glad you managed to attend the ball today and the performance earlier was simply amazing," The Prince says, voice flat. He extends a hand to Jinyoung to shake and Jinyoung does, though he's starting to think the Crown Prince might be one of those nobles who is simply stuck in their little bubble of superiority. 

“Good evening, Your Highness. It is an honour to be invited to your birthday ball. I do wish you a blessed twenty-fifth,” Jinyoung smiles back, equally patronising so Jaebeom knows he isn’t one to be played with. Jaebeom graces him with the shadow of a smile before turning to Yugyeom, putting their conversation on hold just like that.

It throws Jinyoung off. He’s used to having the control in a conversation, not the other way around. It’s  _ his  _ thing to choose when and how a conversation ends,  _ his  _ thing to manipulate and predict the other person. He’s never  _ ever  _ had someone hand the end of the conversation to him just like that - a simple smile that holds so many unsaid words and feelings.

And to act so nonchalant about it? Jinyoung absolutely  _ loathes  _ nobles who put themselves above others and assume they can do anything simply because they have a rank or some fancy title. He hates them, especially so, when they couldn’t care less about how they act.  

Unsurprisingly, it pisses him off. 

“I’m not going to dance with anyone, Yugyeom-ah. You know how I feel about this whole marriage thing,”  Jaebeom grits out as he swallows down his wine. 

“But isn’t it fun to just…” Yugyeom vaguely gestures in the direction of the dance floor, his long arms flailing wildly. “Go out there and  _ live _ ?” he asks, exasperated.

“No, it’s not. That’s for  _ you _ to do, not me,” Jaebeom replies, poking Yugyeom in the chest lightly. Yugyeom swats him off and pouts. “I have other things to worry about,”

“Don’t worry, they talk like this all the time. They actually love and care for each other a lot,” Mark leans in and whispers to Jinyoung, his warm breath fanning the shell of Jinyoung’s ear. Jinyoung smiles but it falters when he sees Jaebeom staring right at him, eyes narrowed.

“How about a dance with Jinyoung-ssi? You can tell our honoured guest more about the Kingdom and stuff!” Yugyeom suggests, wiggling an eyebrow at Jaebeom who immediately scowls at the idea.

“That’s a great idea, Jaebeommie. Plus, it’ll be nice to see you dancing at a ball for once instead of sticking to the buffet line all night,” Mark encourages, pushing Jaebeom towards Jinyoung. Jinyoung steps back to avoid headbutting him.

"Well?" Jaebeom asks him, visibly irritated. He huffs and adjusts his coat, tugging at the buttons to make them sit properly. He extends his hand begrudgingly.  

“Oh, you’re asking  _ me _ ?” Jinyoung asks, the perfect picture of innocence even though he clearly knows Jaebeom is asking him and him only. It’s just to prick at the other man’s patience and it works when Jaebeom lets out a low growl in the back of his throat, just audible enough for the two of them.

_ If you’re going to play, then don’t expect me to give in so easily,  _ Jinyoung thinks smugly.  “I would be honoured to, Prince Jaebeom.” He swoops into another bow, though he keeps his head lifted and eyes connected to Jaebeom’s the whole time. Playfulness shines through his eyes and he basks in the way Jaebeom hardens his eyes in a warning.

"Then, shall we?" Jaebeom asks, tone still polite, as expected of him. Jinyoung accepts his hand, nodding goodbye to both Mark and Yugyeom before he and Jaebeom move off to the dance floor. They're a good ten meters away from them and well-blended into the crowd when Jaebeom snatches his hand out of Jinyoung's grip.

Jinyoung is barely surprised. He crosses his arms and smirks, a challenge. “Is something the matter,  _ Your Highness _ ?” The title falls from his lips mockingly.

“ _ You’re  _ the matter, Jinyoung-ssi. Don’t think that because my brother and cousin are so easily fooled that I will be, too. I know what you’re trying to do,” Jaebeom snarls, voice low and taking a totally different tone from earlier. This Jaebeom is dangerous and accusing, which would scare Jinyoung if he didn’t feel as frustrated himself.  

“Yeah? Please, enlighten me, Crown Prince,” Jinyoung drawls sarcastically. “Because if I remember correctly, I had no other motive of coming here other than to perform for some spoilt prince’s birthday,” 

“ _ Spoilt?  _ Don’t make me laugh. You’re just here to get into the pants of whoever looks the richest,” Jaebeom retorts, crossing his arms as well. They look like quite the pair - two grown men crossing their arms in the middle of the dance floor that are having an argument while people twirl around them.

“Me? A gold digger? As if I  _ want  _ the money,” Jinyoung scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I don’t even know what the problem is,  _ Your Highness.  _ All I’ve done is make small talk with Mark-ssi and Yugyeom-ssi and then all of a sudden, I’m your enemy,”

“Small talk, yeah right. Whispering and being all touchy-touchy with a stranger you just met at a ball is  _ obviously  _ accidental and totally without any agenda. I may be confined to the castle most of my life but I’m not some unsullied child. Tell me honestly that you had no intention of bedding Mark hyung or even doing  _ anything  _ with him and I’ll be off your back for the rest of your life,”  

"I do not," Jinyoung says smoothly. But his body betrays him and he makes the amateur mistake of blinking right after the lie leaves his lips. Jaebeom, the too-smart-and-observant-for-his-own-good bastard, picks up on it immediately and smirks. 

“I’ll believe that when pigs fly. I didn’t even need to have a conversation with you and I already knew by the way you were undressing Mark hyung with your eyes the whole night. All of  _ you people  _ are the same,” Jaebeom says, narrowing his eyes at the end.

“So what if I wanted to? It’s not like I did anything, did I,  _ Your Highness _ ? Are you overprotective of both your baby brother and cousin?" Jinyoung leans in, dropping his voice low till it's barely above a whisper but rough as gravel. "Or perhaps, you're jealous due to the lack of attention you're getting?"   

The growl that Jaebeom lets out is more rewarding than anything Jinyoung has ever gotten. 

“Look,  _ Jinyoung-ssi.  _ We don’t even know each other yet, so don’t go assuming that I-” Jaebeom gets cut off by a loud ringing of a bell that sounds through the whole ballroom and silences everyone. The sound remains ringing in Jinyoung’s ears for a while and he presses his finger to his left ear to stop it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention? I have an announcement to make - a very happy one at that,” The king’s voice booms through the whole room and Jinyoung can see his pearly white smile from where he’s standing. He feels Jaebeom tense up next to him.

“The purpose of tonight’s ball was not only to celebrate my precious son’s coming of age, but to also allow him to pick a spouse suitable of helping him lead Paean. He has not disappointed me, as always.” Jinyoung’s eyes widen and he turns to Jaebeom, who looks as dumbfounded and lost as he is.

“May I present to you, your future kings of Paean...” The King declares.  _ He’s picked someone already?  _ Jinyoung wonders, looking around for whoever Jaebeom’s chosen.

"What? No, I-" Jaebeom is cut off when a light shines on the both of them, making them the centre of attention in the room. Jinyoung squints against the brightness.  _ Hold on, this isn’t right.  _ Jaebeom looks right at him, a look of realisation crossing his face and Jinyoung starts to fear the worst.

“What the hell is…” Jinyoung trails off when he notices the light on them and the stares from other people. He realises that  _ everyone  _ is staring at them now, and they’ve formed some sort of circle around them.  _ Wait,  _ fuck  _ no. No, no, no, this can’t be happening,  _ Jinyoung thinks in his head, not wanting to believe it.

“Im Jaebeom and Park Jinyoung!”

_ Oh. _

Oh,  _no._

  
  
  



	2. antirrhinum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after ;)

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In a guest bedroom_ **

 

Oddly enough, Jinyoung dreams that night. He hardly has dreams ever since he isn’t much of a deep sleeper and he takes them seriously, for a dream can always mean something that his conscious mind is unable to piece together yet.

He dreams of a door, slightly ajar with its golden hinges catching the sun rays and glistening against the dark hues. He doesn't recognise the old, copper brown of the door, neither does he recognise the room he's in. Dream Jinyoung follows the ray of light and warily pushes the door open, keeping his hand firm on the doorknob so that he can swing the door shut in case of anything. 

The door gives way to a dimly lit passageway, with cold, black, concrete walls that send a chill down Dream Jinyoung's spine. He curls in on himself and subconsciously rubs his arms as he cautiously makes his way down the passageway.

The walls are lined with strange, ancient carvings with characters that he doesn't recognise. Upon further inspection, he realises he does recognise them from old scripts and spells that Taecyeon has in his books. He finds more confidence in himself now and steps closer to the wall, running his fingers along the grooves of the carvings while he reads what he can.

Dream him follows the words until he reaches the end, the words he manages to read making no sense to him.  _ Misadventure, King, Union, Luck. What the hell does that mean?  _ Dream Jinyoung thinks to himself. He glances around the room for more clues, scanning the walls once more until something new catches his eye.

It’s the door this time, with a new carving on it that wasn’t there before. Jinyoung takes one look at the white flowers against the dark brown and knows that it’s a cherry blossom tree. The carved out bark is lined with silver paint that gleams even in the dim lighting and Jinyoung feels inexplicably drawn to it. 

He can't help it then and reaches out, pressing a warm, shaky finger out to touch it. The carving is cool to the touch before it turns scalding, white-hot and Jinyoung jerks back as if he's been burnt. The pain seems to radiate within him and he looks for something cold to press it against, seeking out the cool surface of the concrete walls.

Except that this time, it's not concrete when Jinyoung touches it anymore. The concrete gives way the moment it comes in contact with Jinyoung's skin and it sucks him in completely. 

He fails helplessly around, kicking and pulling in a pitiful attempt to save himself. He falls into the empty abyss, voice somehow unable to escape his throat as he cries for help, fingers grasping but never holding.

He jolts awake then, sweat cooling on his back with his shirt sticking to him like a second skin. His fingers are twisted in the sheets that feel too soft to be his own. Heck, the whole  _ bed  _ feels too soft and expensive to be his own. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly and prays this isn’t deja vu before slowly opening them again. 

_ First, the door.  _ It’s a simple cream white instead of copper brown, so that’s definitely a good sign.  _ Second, the walls.  _ They definitely aren’t concrete or black or cold. Instead, they’re wallpapered with beautiful but simple swirls which remind Jinyoung of peonies.  _ Finally, my finger,  _ Jinyoung thinks as he holds up his hands to the light. The pads on his fingers are feeling and looking fine. 

Jinyoung lets out a sigh of relief.  _ Thank God, I’m not gonna fall into a void just yet,  _ he thinks as he wipes the sweat from his brow.  _ But I still have zero idea where the hell I am so that doesn’t make this situation any better. For all I know, I could be in the house of some rich psycho that plans to kill me _ .

He can’t remember anything at all from the night before, only bits and pieces. He remembers the ball, and Mark and then something about an announcement. He has a weird feeling that he has somewhere to be or something important to do, but he can’t seem to recall what just yet. 

_ Maybe I fell and hit my head somewhere on the way home,  _ he wonders.  _ But this place is way too nice to be some town person’s house, so where the hell am I? I’m not being bought by someone, am I? God, if Taecyeon hyung sold me off, I’m gonna jump into the sea,  _ Jinyoung curses in his head. 

He subconsciously checks himself. All his clothes from the masquerade are still intact, save for his coat and footwear. The blue article is draped over the back of a chair at the vanity and Jinyoung catches sight of himself in the mirror. He looks the same as yesterday - hair still styled to the side and face unmarked by anything. 

He looks around and takes in his surroundings once again. Morning light streams in from a ceiling-high glass door and Jinyoung's nose gets hit by the fragrance of flowers when a light breeze blows in. The translucent white curtains give way to the view of mountains and the forest, which Jinyoung recognises as Alstroemeria Woods. Jinyoung supposes it's about seven thirty since the view is similar to what he sees when he usually wakes up this early. 

He throws the covers aside and carefully creeps over, his bare feet cold on the marble floor. He pushes the curtains aside, opens the door and steps out onto the balcony. It's a garden below him - purple and pink flowers that grow in shrubs with peach and lemon trees lined up neatly by the sides. 

Then, he notices someone below him. The person, he assumes its a servant from the way he’s dressed, is tending to some of the flowers. Jinyoung can’t help it.

“Hello? Excuse me! Up here!” He calls out, leaning on the stone railing of the balcony. The servant looks up and immediately swoops into a bow, keeping his head down the whole time.  _ Weird, but okay?  _ “Could you tell me where I am?” 

“You’re in the castle’s main guest room, Your Highness. May I be of service to you in any way?”  _ Wait, hold up. What the fuck?  _

"Um...I think there's some mistake? I'm not your ‘Your Highness'," Jinyoung replies, nervously laughing. If this situation involved the royal family, things  _ might  _ have gotten a whole lot more complicated and Jinyoung may just lose his head at this rate. 

“King Im has announced your engagement to Prince Jaebeom this morning to the whole kingdom already. Are you feeling okay, Your Highness? Do I need to go up to help you?” The young servant, who looks just under twenty with his copper hair and bright, brown eyes that hold a sort of innocence, asks worriedly. 

“ _ What? _ ” Jinyoung nearly yells. “ _ Engagement?  _ To  _ Prince Jaebeom? Me?”  _ The servant nods. Jinyoung nearly falls as he feels his legs go jelly. 

_ Okay, Park Jinyoung. You’re clearly still dreaming so let’s go back to bed, alright? Things will all be okay when you wake up in your nice, little bed back home and Taecyeon will be in the living room with breakfast and all will be well,  _ Jinyoung tells himself as he walks back into the room. He settles back on the bed and tucks himself in, shutting his eyes and counting down to ten, willing himself to wake up from this nightmare.

_ Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four.  _ Jinyoung squeezes his eyes tighter and prays harder.

_ Three. _

_ Two. _

_ One.  _

Nothing. Nothing at all. 

Jinyoung is  _ still  _ wrapped up in the blanket, squeezing his eyes shut like some idiot. He is  _ still  _ in the castle, surrounded by cream coloured fancy furniture and lying on plush pillows. He is  _ still  _ completely clueless about how he’s here and what the hell he’s supposed to do after. 

And then it hits him, like a brick thrown straight at his face and he nearly tumbles out of the bed as a result of the shock.

 

* * *

 

_ “May I present to you, your future kings of Paean...Im Jaebeom and Park Jinyoung!” The King announces. Jaebeom meets Jinyoung’s eye and for the first time that night, Jinyoung doesn’t have to put in any effort to figure out what they say because he feels the exact same.  _

_ Jaebeom doesn’t hesitate, only nudges past everyone with his jaw set and eyes steely all the way to his father. Jinyoung doesn’t know what to do with himself and stands there, like a deer in headlights as people stare at him from all around. There’s a good mixture of envy and admiration but Jinyoung feels uncomfortable all the same.  _

_ “Jinyoung-ssi,” A voice calls him, and he squints against the light to see who it is. “Come on, my father wants to meet you,” Jaebeom says, face void of any emotion. Jinyoung doesn’t know if this is better than the hostility earlier or not. He follows Jaebeom anyway, hands awkwardly hovering by his sides as he keeps a safe distance behind the prince, who seems in a hurry to get away from the crowd with his surprisingly long strides. _

_ They go to a separate room that Jinyoung didn’t know existed. Then again, he didn’t really bother to explore the ballroom, anyway. It’s nothing short of grand - velvety, red carpets that cover the floor instead of marble and paintings on the wall that cost at least a few thousand, if not more. The King and Queen are chatting inside, with another pair of voices that Jinyoung finds familiar. _

_ “Ah, good evening, Jinyoung-ssi. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” The King greets as soon as they step into the room. Jinyoung swoops into a bow and feels slightly overwhelmed; he is the only non-noble in the room.  _

_ "Your majesty," Jinyoung greets as he stands back upright. "The honour is mine," He can feel Jaebeom's heavy gaze on him and he tries to ignore it as best as he can. Instead, he focuses on Mark and Yugyeom, who stand triumphantly by the side with matching grins on their faces.  _

I swear, I should never have gotten involved with anyone tonight. God, why does shit always end up happening to me?  _ Jinyoung whines in his head. _

_ He had spotted Yugyeom and Mark earlier after they had very cleverly left him and Jaebeom alone in the middle of the dance floor. The two mischievous princes were whispering something to the King but Jinyoung was far too  _ distracted  _ by a certain snappy, handsome Crown Prince to fully pay attention. _

They had been the ones to tell the King about  Jaebeom’s supposed choice, huh?  _ Jinyoung thinks. He risks a glance at Jaebeom, who is glaring at Yugyeom in particular and the younger prince subtly hides behind his shorter but older cousin for some form of protection from Jaebeom’s steely gaze.  _

_ "No need for all that, Jinyoung. We're family now, right?" The Queen says cheerfully. Jinyoung snaps out of his thoughts, hoping his cheeks don't betray his daydreaming. He opens his mouth to say something but Jaebeom beats him to it.  _

_ “No, Mother. I told you - I never picked someone to marry at all. This was Yugyeom’s and Mark hyung’s idea, not mine. Even Jinyoung-ssi didn’t know about it so please don’t force anything on someone we barely know,” The words should sting but Jinyoung doesn’t really care to fire back, not when Jaebeom is trying to save them from this disaster.  _

_ "He isn't even a noble, is that even allowed? Father, please." Jaebeom sounds almost as if marrying Jinyoung physically pains him.  _

_ “Don’t be silly, dear. Your brother and cousin have told me that Jinyoung is a fine young man who seems perfectly capable of aiding you in your future role as King,” The Queen says, shooting Jinyoung a smile.  _

_ “About his nobility, it will be kept a top secret. Thanks to his disguise earlier during his performance, no one knows his real identity. Jinyoung will be trained to be royal, just as you and Yugyeom have since young. It will be tough, but it will be worth it.” The King smiles assuringly at Jinyoung. Jinyoung doesn’t say anything, only nervously smiles back.  _

Train to be royal? I don’t even know how to dance, much less be expected to waltz at every ball this Kingdom has, _ Jinyoung thinks.  _

_ “You haven’t even  _ seen  _ his face yet, how do you know if he isn’t some old man in his forties under that mask?” Jaebeom asks, exasperated. Now, Jinyoung takes offence to that. _

_ "I can remove it if you like. I don't really mind. It's proper manners, anyway," Jinyoung says with force cheer, smiling patronisingly at Jaebeom, who shoots daggers at him with his gaze. Jinyoung pays him no attention and turns to the King and Queen instead, easily removing his mask for them. The sharp intake of breath from the Queen makes him nervous all of a sudden. _

_ “Wow, Jaebeom hyung. I think you might lose your role as most handsome to ever rule this time,” Yugyeom points out without a hint of shame.  _

_ “Yah,” Jaebeom calls out. Jinyoung can see his scowl even from his peripheral vision and tries his best to keep the smug smile off his face. “He isn’t  _ that  _ handsome,” The Crown Prince mutters under his breath. Jinyoung puffs his chest out just a little more subtly in pride.  _

_ “Now, now. Both of the future kings are equally good looking and shall be equally loved by the kingdom,” The Queen says, patting Jaebeom on the shoulder to soothe him. Said man only huffs like a spoiled kid.  _

_ Jinyoung, on the other hand, burns a bright pink to the tip of his ears at the sudden attention and looks away. “You’ll fit in just fine in the castle, Jinyoung.” The King offers up a smile and a handshake. Jinyoung feels the weight of everyone’s gaze, and the pressure builds up all at once.  _

Don’t do it! What about becoming a famous wizard? What about all that you’ve worked hard for your whole life?  _ A voice yells in his head.  _

I can’t reject the freaking  _ King _ , not in front of his face! I could get imprisoned for treason or something,  _ Jinyoung argues back. Even Jaebeom is staring at him quizzically at this point and if Jinyoung were to be brave enough, he might even say the Crown Prince was slightly interested to hear his decision. _

Then don’t blame me when it’s not the future you want!  _ The voice singsongs before it disappears from Jinyoung’s thoughts.  _ I’ll think of something in time but for now, this will have to do. 

_ “Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my best,”  _

 

* * *

 

“No, you fucking idiot!” Jinyoung smacks himself on the head, groaning as he runs fingers through his now messy hair. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why would you say that? Were you drunk?” 

He rolls around in frustration until the sheets are all tangled up, like a teenager sulking in their bedroom. “Really, Park Jinyoung? You might as well kill yourself by jumping out of the balcony right now. A King? You don’t even know how to take care of yourself, much less a whole kingdom,”

"With Im Jaebeom, too? That obnoxious prick will piss me off in a minute," Jinyoung growls as he sits up, messing up his hair even further while he glares at his reflection in the mirror. "Ugh, I'm a mess today," Jinyoung declares to the empty room as he throws the covers off again, deciding that moping around won't do anyone good. 

_ They should have some clothes here, right?  _ Jinyoung hopes as he opens up a nearby wardrobe. His eyes nearly bulge out of his head. There’s not just ‘some clothes’, there’s whole  _ months  _ worth of various suits in the wardrobe, colour-coded from warm shades to cooler ones. 

He lets out a low whistle as he runs his fingers across the smooth, luxurious silk before settling on a navy blue one that is similar to his current outfit.  _ At least I’ll live comfortably here. _

He brings the outfit to the bathroom which is connected by another door, letting out a gasp when he sees how grand even their bathrooms are.  _ It’s literally a room for people to get rid of the dirt from and in their body, why the hell is it so grand? I could live in here and I’ll be happy,  _ Jinyoung thinks. 

The floors are marbled as well -  a polished, cream and gold scheme which complements the white appliances and big, surrounding mirrors. Jinyoung never really felt the want for fanciness in his life - not until now, at least. He thinks he might never want to go back if living in the castle would mean getting to wake up to this every day. 

He hangs the suit on one of the metal racks and quickly runs the shower, letting it steam up a little before stepping under the warm water. He sighs in satisfaction as the water aids in relaxing and calming him down, finally able to scrub yesterday’s grime off and clear his head. 

The soap they have smells like what a flower shop would smell like - a burst of combined floral scents along with the smell of sweet, natural honey. Jinyoung lathers it on thick and scrubs until he’s satisfied before washing it all off. He steps out about ten minutes later, the glass and mirrors all fogged up from the condensation. 

_ I could get used to this,  _ Jinyoung thinks to himself as he dries off with the cottony, soft towels that smell of lavender. He slips the fresh set of clothes on and happily brushes his teeth with a toothbrush that was lying by the sink, probably for him. 

_ I wonder if they have breakfast, too.  _ His stomach rumbles in agreement, his body suddenly needing to be fed now that he's taken care of hygiene. His own clothing is in a heap on the floor and Jinyoung doesn't bother to fold them, only pushing them into a corner so that they're out of sight. 

The bedroom is still as messy as he left it, but it doesn’t really bother him since that’s how he is back home, anyway. He fixes his hair at the vanity - simply combing the slightly wet strands down until they sit somewhat neatly.  _ Good enough, I guess,  _ he thinks. 

He walks to the door and takes a deep breath, counting down to three as he prepares himself for whatever might await him. Then when it hits one, he swings the door open and nearly walks into someone. 

“Oh! Good morning, Your Highness. I’m Youngjae, sent here by Prince Jaebeom to wake you for breakfast. I see you fit the clothes just fine,” Youngjae comments brightly as he examines the blue item that Jinyoung has donned. 

Youngjae, a slightly shorter and younger man with dark brown hair, seems too casual and lively for a servant. Compared to the copper-haired, wide-eyed boy earlier, Youngjae looks like he’s been in the castle for years and knows way more than Jinyoung does. 

“Oh, yeah. Thank you for this, Youngjae-ssi. And please, don’t call me that, it’s sort of weird for me,” Jinyoung says with a careful smile, wondering if this was an appropriate way to act. 

“You sound like the Prince when you say that,” Youngjae comments, a little fondly and Jinyoung wonders if that’s appropriate, too. “Then is Jinyoung hyung okay? You can just call me Youngjae, too,” 

“Yeah, Jinyoung hyung is fine,” Jinyoung flashes a quick smile and the conversation feels like it’ll die hopelessly there. Youngjae doesn’t seem to attempt to save it; he looks at Jinyoung like he’s observing some new species and doesn’t know whether to be wary or not. 

He settles on an intrigued, slightly smug grin a second later. Jinyoung, once again, wonders if all of this is appropriate or normal. 

“Please, follow me, Jinyoung hyung. Prince Jaebeom awaits you in the dining hall,” Jinyoung prays that his gulp wasn’t audible enough for the young man’s ears. 

 

 

* * *

 

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s Bedroom_ **

 

By the time the sunlight starts to stream in through his windows, Jaebeom is long awake and restless. He couldn’t get a good night’s sleep, not after all that happened at the ball. It wasn’t supposed to go that way, not by a  _ long shot _ , and Jaebeom’s been up all night thinking about it. 

His eyelids feel like lead and his limbs refuse to move. His mind, however, is as active as ever. It hasn’t stopped running since he crashed into bed last night after downing a few glasses of wine ( a futile attempt to forget everything ) and his thoughts aren’t helping him and his tired body one bit. 

It's just a little after seven and Jaebeom felt like it's been a long time since he's seen the sun rising over the mountains. It's the first time in years that no one has had to wake him, and the odd quietness and tranquillity of being alone at this hour feels nice in exchange for yesterday's mess. 

The memory of everyone staring at him and Jinyoung is still fresh in his mind. That was the moment when his life had changed courses and he just  _ knows it.  _ He remembers feeling nervous and all jittery the evening before, unable to shake off the gut feeling of something inevitable happening. 

Jaebeom figures that Jinyoung was that something. The other man’s sassy, witty remarks and snarky retorts had left quite the impression on Jaebeom. He’s never known someone who could not only tolerate  _ his  _ foul mood and sharp tongue but also snap back with their own style.

The man was also undeniably handsome. If men could be described as beautiful, Jaebeom thinks Jinyoung would be the epitome of it. He had this ethereal glow to him that made him look untouchable yet tempting. 

Jaebeom would be lying if he says Park Jinyoung didn’t intrigue him one bit. 

_ I wonder if he’s still asleep,  _ Jaebeom thinks as he chooses an outfit from his closet.  _ Not that it matters, anyway. He’ll probably be slacking off the whole day. _

The sky outside is bordering on blue, dark hues of the night being chased away by the yellow-orange of the sun. He knows half the castle is still asleep - save for some of the younger, newer servants that are tasked with morning duties. Jaebeom suddenly gets the urge to run off.

It would be so easy to just leave it all behind him - no marriage, no kingdom to rule, no charming but annoying wizards to deal with. The window is wide open and Jaebeom thinks he probably has enough coats to tie together into a rope long enough to reach the ground. 

He could go lie low in one of the inns in a neighbouring town. Or borrow a boat and sail far out to another kingdom. Or, he could sneak into the stables and grab Nora, before riding off to wherever he feels like going. 

For that minute, it all feels possible.

And then reality is crashing back into him again, waves of guilt that he can’t avoid. Who would rule after his father retired, then? He would never subject Yugyeom to that life, not when he knows better than anyone that his younger brother would never be happy on the throne.

What about his parents, too? They would be devastated and ridden by guilt for the rest of their lives if they found out the reason he ran was to avoid the marriage they wanted. Youngjae and Bambam would be left alone, too. They’ll no longer have the luxury of sneaking into his room for short breaks and he’ll never see their bright, sweet smiles anymore.

He could never bring himself to do that to his family and friends, no matter how much the idea appeals to him. Jaebeom lets out a sigh - a long resigned one that feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

He settles on the classic and safest choice - black. He forgoes the coat since it’s nearing the summertime and Jaebeom hates the feeling of having his clothing stick to him in the heat. The shower he takes is a short one, but his mind is occupied by Jinyoung the whole time. 

He thinks of Jinyoung dressed as a King - a fine, golden crown atop his light brown hair as he waves to the people regally. He doesn’t even know Jinyoung well yet, but he can picture a welcoming, bright smile on the younger’s lips and Jaebeom vaguely thinks that Jinyoung would make a good noble. 

Of course, the thought is chased away by the fact that they’ll be  _ married  _ in time to come and suddenly, the image of Jinyoung dressed in a fine suit changes to one of him in loose silk, barely covering  _ anything.  _ Dusted pink cheeks, glazed eyes and plump lips - Jinyoung would be a sight for sore eyes any day.

Then the silk - translucent white material that flows like water on his porcelain skin, so tempting to mark in spots of red and purple. Jaebeom can almost imagine the ease of ripping the silk apart with his fingers, the face that Jinyoung would make.

Jaebeom feels himself heat up at the image that his imagination had cooked up and hastily steps out of the shower, drying himself off and rubbing his face roughly to wake himself up.  _ You are not going to be lusting after someone at this time, Im Jaebeom. Focus on your priorities!  _ he scolds himself. 

Jaebeom dresses and leaves quickly, almost as if staying in the bathroom would only serve to fuel his imagination more. He doesn’t bother on even making his bed, which he usually would since he likes keeping his room clean. Instead, he laces up his boots, glances around his room one last time, before he leaves for the day.

The castle is awfully quiet in the mornings, something that Jaebeom has hardly noticed. Most servants are still asleep and the huge hallways are empty of them bustling about and running errands. However, Jaebeom knows two certain people that are definitely wide awake at this time.

“Jaebeom hyung! Congratulations!” Youngjae greets him as soon as he steps into the kitchen. His boots clump against the stone floor and he clicks his tongue, scowling at the mischievous smile on Youngjae’s and Bambam’s faces. 

“Do not congratulate me if you already know how much I dislike this arrangement,” Jaebeom says, plopping himself down on one of the high stools by the counter. The other servants - Tzuyu and Wonpil - hide their smiles as they take their leave. Bambam and Youngjae, however, make no effort in concealing their amusement at his suffering. 

“What on earth happened to not getting married? I thought your  _ grand plan  _ was to ‘lie low' the whole night. Some master of keeping it low-key you are," Bambam chortles right in his face, his laughter echoing in the empty kitchen. Jaebeom smacks him square on the back of the head. 

"Ow! Not the hair! Unlike you, Jaebeom hyung, I do put effort into my looks on a daily basis," Bambam states as he readjusts the little strands that had been messed up. 

“Don’t be so negative about it, hyung. Look on the bright side! Maybe Jinyoung-ssi will be some genius and assist you in ruling the Kingdom when you become King. I heard wizards are pretty smart with all those books they read,” Youngjae says, placing a plate of jam and bread in front of Jaebeom. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please. Black,” Jaebeom replies while he takes a chunk out of a piece of bread. “I get what you’re trying to say and I  _ did  _ try to look on the brighter side, but you  _ two, _ ” Jaebeom shoots a purposeful look at Bambam, who grins. “Need to know that this marriage thing wasn’t even  _ my choice, _

"What do you mean? I thought you had agreed to choose a spouse, and you chose Jinyoung-ssi," Bambam says, taking a bite out of Jaebeom's slice.

“It was supposed to be that way, but Yugyeommie and Mark hyung took things into their own hands and chose for me,” Jaebeom sighs, taking a bite. He knows he can’t be mad at his brother and cousin for doing so because number one - he loves them both  _ very dearly _ and not even signing him up for a life partner could take that away. 

Number two - he knows the only reason they did it was for the good of him and the Kingdom. The two of them, or Jaebeom’s trusted circle for that fact, were no strangers to Jaebeom’s view of this whole thing. He had gone to them within the first few days of being informed of his need to choose a spouse and they had spent nights listening to his complaints and worries. 

They  _ know  _ that if someone hadn’t chosen for Jaebeom, Jaebeom would never be able to be crowned King thanks to this horrible, messed up system his father had created. And so they chose so that Jaebeom would be crowned King and for the Kingdom to have its next ruler. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean Jaebeom isn’t in the least bit ticked off.  

“And you haven’t killed Yugyeommie for that? A miracle has happened,” Bambam looks up to the sky like he’s talking to God. Jaebeom snorts and Youngjae laughs at his antics. Trust Bambam to always lighten Jaebeom’s mood this early in the morning.

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday. Is he awake yet?” Jaebeom asks Bambam, who’s basically Yugyeom’s best friend and knows everything about the younger prince. 

“Probably should be coming down in a bit. Are you gonna kill him, then?” Bambam asks, not one bit worried about his best friend’s life. 

“Maybe. Have you two eaten? Have some,” Jaebeom says, offering up the plate of bread. Youngjae happily grabs one and munches on it, licking the sticky strawberry jam off his lips once he’s done devouring the slice. 

“Aren’t you gonna ask us?” Bambam asks, eyebrow quirking up in question. Jaebeom sips his coffee, immediately knowing what, or  _ who,  _ the younger is talking about.

“Do I really have to if you two clearly have discussed it earlier?” Jaebeom returns with a question, though it holds no hostility. Youngjae sighs, drawing circles with his finger on the smooth, stone countertop. 

"You know, it would be nice if you two got an early start to know each other. There's nothing that can change the King's mind, now that it's made up and the whole Kingdom knows about your engagement," Youngjae points out. 

“Technically, it’s not an engagement yet. Jaebeom hyung didn’t get down on one knee or pull out a ring,” comes Yugyeom’s voice from the entrance of the kitchen. He stalks in nonchalantly and grabs a slice of bread, unaware of Jaebeom’s hot gaze. 

“Kim Yugyeom, you little brat-” Jaebeom growls as he grabs Yugyeom by the back of the neck, the younger prince nearly spitting out the bread as he squawks in surprise. He twists and turns, but Jaebeom’s grip is too tight for him to break free from.

“Someone help me! Jaebeom hyung! You  _ know  _ I only did it because I-” Yugyeom shrieks this time, high pitched and piercing and Jaebeom grabs hold of his arm and twists it behind him, pinning him to the counter. “Ow! That hurts, hyunggggggggggggggg,” Yugyeom whines, looking at Jaebeom who only smirks back at him. 

“I’ll go wake Jinyoung-ssi up. Bambam, have fun!” Youngjae bids before he hurriedly leaves the kitchen, unwilling to be dragged into this. 

"Youngjae hyung! Don't leave me to die like this! Bam-ah, save me!" Yugyeom cries out, voice cracking and turning into some weird, high-pitched chicken sound. Bambam snorts, crossing his legs as he takes a seat right opposite Yugyeom.

“Sorry, can’t disturb the Crown Prince’s activities,” Bambam winks at Jaebeom, who grins. Yugyeom pouts and Bambam mimics him; Jaebeom watches the two of them fondly and his heart warms with the knowledge that at least he’ll always have his friends with him, no matter what.

 

* * *

 

When Jinyoung enters the kitchen with Youngjae, he had  _ not  _ been expecting to see Im Jaebeom holding his younger brother by the ear, scolding him as a mother does to her child. A servant, who seems  _ way  _ too casual and at home, is sitting on one of the high stools and watching in amusement as he chews on some bread. 

“Don’t you  _ dare  _ spring something like that on me again, okay? I know you and Mark hyung had good intentions and I appreciate that, but you have to know that his decision has a larger impact on my life than on yours, okay?" Jaebeom asks, letting go of Yugyeom's ear which has turned bright pink. 

“Okay. I  _ am _ sorry, hyung. I just thought that it would be easier for everyone if someone made the choice for you. I know how much you didn’t want to have to choose someone to marry and we knew that if you didn’t, no one would benefit in the end,” Yugyeom explains, voice soft and timid as he lightly holds on to Jaebeom’s forearm.

Jaebeom sighs, patting his younger brother’s hand reassuringly. The gesture reminds Jinyoung of when Taecyeon would comfort him when he messed up a certain spell or potion and he suddenly realises how much he misses the older man. “I understand and I forgive you, Yugyeom-ah. Just please, let me know next time, okay? Then we can all discuss this together and maybe come up with a better solution,”

“I’m not the only one affected by this decision - Jinyoung-ssi is, too. He didn’t know…” Jaebeom trails off the second he makes eye contact with Jinyoung from his spot at the entrance of the kitchen. They both pause and it feels like time stops for a second before Youngjae is clearing his throat loudly behind Jinyoung.

Jinyoung nearly jumps out of his skin. It feels like a bucket of cold water has been splashed on to him and he’s suddenly more awake than he felt after his shower. Across the room, Jaebeom doesn’t seem to be faring any better than he is and downs the whole cup of coffee, eyes darting everywhere but Jinyoung. 

Bambam rolls his eyes and shoots a look at Yugyeom, who shrugs and turns to Youngjae. The man sighs and lightly grabs Jinyoung by the elbow to lead him over to the counter where he sits opposite the skinny servant boy. “Have a seat, I’ll get you breakfast. Jaebeom hyung, do you want more bread? Or eggs? I could fry some for all of us,”

“Eggs! Scrambled, please,” Yugyeom says as he plops down in a seat next to Bambam. “Jaebeom hyung,” He calls, looking pointedly at the seat opposite him. Jaebeom sighs and drops himself on to the chair unceremoniously, though he makes sure to keep the distance between him and Jinyoung safe.

“So, Jinyoung-ssi. How was your rest? Did you like the clothes Bambam picked for you?” Yugyeom asks, smile bright.  _ Bambam? Who the hell has such a name? Is he a foreigner or something?  _

“It was good, thank you for the clothing. They’re really...nice. And please, Jinyoung hyung is fine,” Jinyoung awkwardly replies. He self-consciously tugs at the sleeves of said clothing and the man opposite him snorts. 

"Are you sure this is the wizard that performed yesterday, Gyeom-ah? He seems too clumsy and awkward for all that fancy magic," he says, not really bothering to hide the remark. Jinyoung feels like he should take offence to it but instead, it only confuses him even more. Did all servants talk to the Royals in this family like this? Was that okay? What the hell was going on?

“Yes, Bam-ah. I already told you last night, why won’t you believe me? Am I not your best friend?” Yugyeom asks, dramatically clutching his chest. Bambam rolls his eyes again in reply, turning to Jaebeom instead.  _ Oh, so this is Bambam. Are they friends with all the servants, then? Does no one seem to care about formalities here? _

"Well, Jaebeom hyung? Aren't you gonna talk at all? You're never this shy around someone," Bambam asks, ignoring his supposed best friend.

Jaebeom glowers at him, eyes steely but Bambam doesn’t seem one bit bothered. “I am  _ not  _ shy,”

“Really? Seems like you were blushing earlier when Jinyoung hyung walked in,” Bambam teases, grinning at Jinyoung. Jinyoung feels like he’s met a second Yugyeom and doesn’t know what to do with himself. 

“I was  _ not _ . Kunpimook Bhuwakul Bambam, don’t make me-” Jaebeom is interrupted by a familiar voice which booms through the whole kitchen and catches everyone’s attention. 

“Good morning, children. Ah, it’s nice to see that Jinyoung was able to join you all for breakfast. How did you like the castle so far? I hope the guest bedroom was comfortable enough for you,” The King says as he walks into the kitchen with the Queen by his side.

Now that Jinyoung takes a look at them in a different setting, he can pick out the features that Jaebeom has from his parents. Those steely eyes are definitely from his father, while he has his mother’s raven hair and sharp nose. Both of them look a hundred times for friendly and welcoming than Jaebeom does, though. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty. The castle is very beautiful,” Jinyoung says, hoping it doesn’t sound as awkward as he feels. Bambam  _ was  _ right, he did sound awfully clumsy and out of place. 

“Good. Jaebeom, I trust that you’ll give Jinyoung a tour of the rest of the castle later? You’ll be freed of duties for the rest of the day.” Jinyoung can feel Jaebeom tense up next to him and feels oddly guilty for making someone have to take care of him at all times. He feels like some precious cargo that has to be escorted and watched over 24/7 in case he goes missing. 

It’s weird, to say the least.

"Of course, Father. We were just finishing up with breakfast and then we'll be on our way." To Jaebeom's credit, the words sound almost truthful, even to Jinyoung's own ears.  

"Enjoy breakfast then. I shall see all of you later at dinner," The King bids with an approving smile before he turns to leave. They all semi-bow to him and the Queen.

“So…” Yugyeom starts, glancing between him and Jaebeom. Jinyoung can feel the curious gaze of Bambam and Youngjae on him but he chooses to ignore them and focuses on placing some eggs onto his slice of bread instead. It’s a tad bit dry for his palette, but his hungry stomach gratefully accepts the warm buttery taste. 

He doesn’t notice everyone’s eyes on him until Youngjae lightly nudges his leg under the table. They’re all looking at him, or staring, to be more exact. Especially Jaebeom, with his cold, mysterious eyes that seem to pierce into Jinyoung’s side. He abruptly drops his bread on to the plate, self-consciously covering his mouth as he chews the rest of it.

_ What is up with these people? Have they never seen someone eat before?  _ Jinyoung wonders as he waits for them to say something.

Jaebeom is the one to break the silence, surprisingly. "Finish up and meet me in the library. Ask them if you need directions, I have some things to take care of first," the Crown Prince says cooly, standing up and walking off in long strides. They watch him go, a second of silence hanging in the air after his back view disappears before Yugyeom lets out a long groan.

“He’s acting so difficult, it’s crazy. Don’t worry, Jinyoung hyung. Jaebeom hyung isn’t usually this  _ cold, _ he’s just bad at meeting new people. Kind of like you, I guess?” Yugyeom cheerfully points out Jinyoung’s flaw and Jinyoung frowns.

"Yugyeom, be nice. Jinyoung hyung, don't be shy to say whatever you feel. We're very easygoing around here." Youngjae offers a comforting smile and Jinyoung thinks the younger man might be his favourite person in the castle. 

"Then forgive me if I'm being too casual or rude, but what is going on here? I wake up and then I see you all eating in the kitchen together like it's  _ normal _ for princes to be friends with servants and to have meals together on the countertop. I’m no noble but I assumed that y’know…” Jinyoung gestures exasperatedly between Bambam and Yugyeom, hoping they would understand.

"Is that what you've been thinking the whole time, hyung?" Bambam asks. He doesn't seem to take offence to what Jinyoung has said at all. He pushes the whole plate of eggs and bread to Jinyoung, silently reminding him that he has to eat so that he can meet Jaebeom. 

“That, among a few other things,” Jinyoung admits, picking up the slice that he had dropped earlier.

“We all grew up together since we were kids, and the King and Queen basically raised Youngjae hyung and I. Plus, I think it’s a Paean Royal Family thing? Even the King and Queen are super casual with all the servants, so we just kind of do whatever when we’re free,”

"Oh. That's...nice. How old are you two?" Jinyoung asks, pointing to Bambam and Youngjae.

“Bam is the same as me and Youngjae hyung is a year younger than you,” Yugyeom speaks up. “You’re younger than Jaebeom hyung by a few months, right? He’s really pushy about the ‘hyung’ thing so you might wanna watch out for that,” 

“Is there anything else I should watch out for? I’m pretty sure we already have some sort of rivalry going on between us so I wouldn’t want to worsen my life here,” Jinyoung says. It wasn’t an attempt at a joke but Yugyeom and Bambam burst out laughing, anyway. 

_ These two are like two twins that share a brain instead of physical features, _ Jinyoung thinks, a little amused. He figures he  _ could  _ come to like Yugyeom and Bambam in the future. 

“Did you two have an argument?” Youngjae asks. 

"That's a way to put it, I guess. He called me a gold digger for talking to Mark hyung and I called him spoilt and some other things in return. The Crown Prince isn't exactly as welcoming as you three, is he?"

"Definitely not," Bambam grins at Jinyoung, and he feels a sense of pride at finally achieving something good while being at the castle. 

"But you called him spoilt? No wonder he's so hell-bent on being difficult with you,"

"Well-! He did insult me for no reason," Jinyoung defends.

"Did he think you were trying to hit Mark hyung up?" Yugyeom asks, a grin on his face. Jinyoung nods, unwilling to admit that he was, in fact, a little interested in the oldest prince.

"I can't really blame you for that, though. Mark hyung is handsome and charming in his own sense. He has a knack for making people fall for him at parties, but he's never shown interest in any of them before," Yugyeom sighs.

"That's because he's into Jackson hyung and Jackson hyung only." Jackson? Who is this new person that Jinyoung would probably have to be well-acquainted with in the future? 

"True. I guess being protective of his loved ones is just another Jaebeom hyung trait that you have to get used to as time passes. Besides, his moods don't last very long. He tends to forgive easily once he knows you well enough,"

"Plus, he's the one you're marrying so you might want to try and find a way to get on his good side as soon as possible," Youngjae advises. Jinyoung sighs, already feeling tired of the conversation that hasn't even happened yet.

"Alright then, I should probably go look for him now. I'll see you around, hopefully. Could you tell me where the library is?" Jinyoung asks as he stands up. 

“Go up a floor and take a right, then you’ll see this huge room. That’s the library. Jaebeom hyung should be at the end, in his study,” Yugyeom replies, waving.

“Good luck, hyung!” Bambam calls after him. Jinyoung shoots back a weary smile, not sure whether even luck will save him if Im Jaebeom decides to be as difficult as he’s proven to be.

 

 

* * *

 

**_The Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Library_ **

 

Jaebeom is busy reading up on some current politics when Jinyoung arrives. The knock on the door of his study announces the younger’s arrival, and Jaebeom feels his stomach settle into a tight knot as he calls for him to come in. 

_ He looks good today,  _ Jaebeom vaguely notes as he takes in Jinyoung’s appearance. He smells of the soap that everyone in the castle uses and he’s dressed in the same pattern as Jaebeom is. He can’t help but feel that Jinyoung looks like as much of a prince as Jaebeom or Yugyeom. 

He quickly snaps out of it though, when Jinyoung stands right in front of him with his hands awkwardly clasped in front of him. Jaebeom is still seated with his book in hand, and he notices how Jinyoung’s eyes widen just a fraction when they land on the title.

None of them says anything, both unsure how to act after the seriously unfortunate and unexpected turn of events in the past few hours. Up until this morning, they were only strangers who had gotten off on the wrong foot; two people who had just crossed paths for the first time. And now, the whole Kingdom knows them as the future Kings that are supposed to be married in a matter of  _ months _ .

How are you supposed to feel when you’re standing in front of the person who basically turned your life upside down? Jaebeom has been wondering the whole night, but he still hasn’t reached a conclusion just yet.

“So, this is your study?” Jinyoung attempts, visibly cringing at himself. The Jinyoung he had interacted with yesterday was nothing like today’s. There was no sass, no wittiness, no snarky, snappy remarks. Just awkwardness, plain and simple. Jaebeom could take advantage of that.

Because even if he didn’t know how to effectively deal with Jinyoung in the long run, at least he could rely on what he already knew. He  _ knows  _ how easy and fun it is to rile Jinyoung up, and he knows that it’s a lot easier to deal with what he knows than what he doesn’t.

“Yeah, why? Not fancy enough for you?” Jaebeom asks nonchalantly, shutting his book and standing up to shelve it. Jaebeom sees Jinyoung’s jaw clench once and counts it as a point to him.

“I am  _ not  _ a gold digger, despite what you think,” Jinyoung says, keeping his voice tight and stable. “And no, I think your study is  _ lovely _ ,” 

“Well, you should see Mark hyung’s. Wouldn’t you love to?” Jaebeom pushes even further, pressing the issue even more. He sees Jinyoung’s eyes narrow and his lips twitch, and he knows he has him.

“Look, Jaebeom-ssi. I would  _ love  _ to stand in here all day and listened to my  _ fiancé  _ attack me for something that I am not, but I believe the King had asked you to show me around. Couldn’t you  _ at least  _ put aside your obnoxiousness for a day and do that?" Jinyoung asks, placing his hands flat on Jaebeom's desk.

_ He definitely seems more relaxed now. This man, seriously. Who needs an argument to loosen up?  _ Jaebeom wonders, amused at having successfully riled Jinyoung up.

"Perhaps, if you agree to my terms. I won't comply with yours if you don't comply with mine," Jaebeom states. Jinyoung rolls his eyes, not even trying to hide it. Jaebeom finds it interesting and oddly intriguing how easily Jinyoung can go from passive, picture-perfect son-in-law to  _ this _ . Jaebeom also oddly prefers this side to Jinyoung, because he knows it’s the closest to the true Jinyoung that he’ll get for now.

“Fine, state them then.” Jinyoung perches himself on top of Jaebeom’s desk, crosses his arms and looks at Jaebeom with an eyebrow raised. 

Jaebeom settled himself back in his seat and mirrors him, the two of them wordlessly challenging each other. “Number one - call me ‘Jaebeom hyung’. ‘Jaebeom-ssi’ is way too formal and too unbelievable for an engaged couple. Plus, I’m older than you,”

“Then drop the ‘Jinyoung-ssi’, too. Jinyoung is fine,” 

“Okay,  _ Jinyoung, _ ” Jaebeom purposefully rolls the syllables off his tongue languidly, almost teasing. “Number two - there’s no way we’re gonna get married for life so whether you like it or not, we’re going to have to come up with a plan to get us both out of this while not losing anything,” 

"By ‘losing anything' you mean your crown? I know that the only reason you're going along with this is that you want to be king and that's fine by me, as long as I get something in return." Jinyoung matches Jaebeom's gaze with an equally steady one.

“Make Taecyeon hyung, my master, the Royal Wizard. He deserves it for all his talent and I’m sure the King would allow it after the show he put on during your ball. And I want to get in contact with him, I need to let him know how I’m doing or he’ll worry,”

Jaebeom seems to contemplate it for a second, before nodding in agreement. “I’ll see to it in time. While we come up with a plan, you’re going to have to pull off being a royal and  _ we _ ,” Jaebeom gestures between them, “are going to have to act like a royal  _ couple _ ,”

The word itself disgusts him to say, but they both know it has to be done. There’s no  _ way  _ they’re going to pull this off if no one believes that they at least like each other. 

“Alright, then let me set some limitations on that. No touching except when needed. No nicknames or whatever stupid things couples do. You’re free to go fool around with whoever you like, as long as no one suspects anything.” Jaebeom lets out a light scoff at that because there’s no  _ way  _ Jaebeom would ever.

He knows that they aren’t actually emotionally attached but the thought of even  _ being  _ with someone else just throws him off completely. 

( Secretly, he also thinks that Jinyoung is creating this rule for his own benefit so that he can have a shot at whichever noble he sees fit. Of course, he doesn’t voice this out for the sake of their current truce. )

“Basically, just do it when we really have to. If not, there’s no  _ way  _ I’m gonna walk in the hallways holding hands with you,” Jinyoung says. 

“Good, because I didn’t plan to do that either.” If that affects Jinyoung’s ego, he doesn’t show it. “Since you’ve stated all your terms, let me state my final one, ” Jaebeom says as he stands up and begins to walk over to Jinyoung.

The younger is slightly surprised and Jaebeom can tell by the way he shifts away from Jaebeom warily. However, Jaebeom doesn’t stop as he talks.

“Number three - I’ll be teaching you how to live and act like royalty for the next few months and you’re basically my problem now so that means that you, Park Jinyoung,” Jaebeom pauses right as Jinyoung hits the edge of the desk, gritting his teeth tightly as he’s forced to balance his weight with one leg before he falls off the desk completely.

He swells with pride in the defiance showing in Jinyoung’s eyes, and the slightly nervous twitch of his lips. “You shall listen to me and me  _ only _ ,” 

“And if I don’t want to?” Jinyoung asks, voice barely above a whisper yet it comes out as a challenge. Jaebeom really has to applaud the man’s stubbornness and courage.

“Then be prepared to suffer the consequences,” Jaebeom replies easily, voice low and threatening enough to shut Jinyoung up for the time being. “I’ll meet you here after lunch and then we’ll start your first lesson. In the meantime, I suggest you enjoy your freedom before it’s gone,” 

He leaves Jinyoung like that - stumped and definitely annoyed, if not angry. Jaebeom revels in the loud curse that he hears a few moments after he steps out of the library, and supposes that Park Jinyoung might prove to be  _ pretty interesting _ , after all. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. lavender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sort of a filler (?) chapter but also pretty important because it's the intro to a little bit of jinyoung's forgotten past and who he might be! shoutout to one of my lovely moots on twt that gave me this idea to spice it up a little. thank you cin <33333

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In the Guest Bedroom_ **

 

“Fucking Im Jaebeom - what is he? Some kind of sadist? God, this is gonna ache for days,” Jinyoung swears and groans as he massages his sore shoulders. He reaches and presses as hard as he can on the tight, uncomfortable knots that have formed beneath his skin but it’s difficult to undo them on his own.

 _Maybe they have some masseuse here or something. God, what I would give to have Taecyeon Hyung cast some magic on me right now,_ Jinyoung thinks to himself.

He kind of misses his hyung. It’s been only a day since he’s last seen Taecyeon but not seeing someone you’re used to seeing _every day_ definitely makes you notice their presence a lot more.

 _I wonder how he is. I hope Im Jaebeom manages to contact him soon. There’s so much to tell and ask him. Heck, I don’t even know if he made it home safe from the ball. For all I know, he could be still hungover at some noble’s place after another fling,_ Jinyoung thinks as he sighs.

Being alone is nice for a change of working hard all day, but being alone makes it _too_ easy for him to overthink and over worry about things. His mind is free to wander to the spellbooks he has left at home, all those potions he’s been wanting to attempt for so long.

He dearly misses home, now that he thinks about it. He misses the smell of Taecyeon's cooking and the black coffee his hyung would brew, along with the lush green grass of the forest that grows long and untamed unlike the ones in the castle's garden. He misses his cherry blossom tree and the sweet smell of flowers and the chirp of birds in the mornings.

Jinyoung wants to close his eyes and wake up from this dream. However, he knows now ( after many futile attempts ) that this is his life now and he can't change it. Destiny had brought him here, so here he shall remain until something else changes.

It’s difficult, but he’s slowly coming to accept it. He’s slightly more aware of his duties now, after a whole day of lessons. He knows that it’s pretty easy-going for this week since it’s his first, but once all the events start to kick up next week, he’ll barely have time to rest his feet. In fact, he already barely has time to rest now.

Jaebeom had so _kindly_ assigned him a map of the Kingdom and the neighbouring ones to memorise by tomorrow, along with each Kingdom’s national colours and symbols.

Paean’s was a peony, fitting for its name. It also meant ‘a song of praise’ which was kind of nice, now that Jinyoung thought about it. He’s always had an adoration for Paean the most out of all the various Kingdoms he and Taecyeon have travelled to in the past. Getting to learn more about it was probably one of the better factors of this deal.

Of course, that doesn’t make the job any easier. He has ten Kingdoms to memorise and recite about, seven of which Jinyoung didn’t even know existed. In addition, Jaebeom had made him learn the ‘proper dinner etiquette’.

He had spent a good half of the day getting scolded by the Crown Prince, who seemed to enjoy watching people ( Jinyoung, in particular ) suffer under his hands. Jinyoung could spend a second too long thinking about which damned fork to use for a slice of cake and Jaebeom would be on his ass for it, calling him ‘too slow’ and ‘unprepared’.

Jinyoung, of course, spent the whole day rolling his eyes so much that at one point, he actually felt like he was getting a headache.

( Then again, he wasn’t sure if the headache was from rolling his eyes or hearing Im Jaebeom’s voice by his ear - constantly ordering him around. )

“Isn’t it good enough if I don’t make a mess? Why on _earth_ are there different spoons if everything is going into my stomach, anyway? These nobles really love giving themselves extra problems. I should just cast some spell on Im Jaebeom tomorrow and make him nicer,” Jinyoung complains to the empty room.

He’s lying face up on the plush bedding, staring idly at the ceiling with his feet dangling off the side of the bed.

 _I could be practising my spells right now and instead, what am I doing? Wasting my life. At least send_ someone _to talk to me. Should I go venturing?_ Jinyoung considers it for a second, sitting up and staring at the door. It’s as if someone hears his prayer and a knock sounds out firmly against the hardwood.

“Come in!” he calls out, hoping that it’s either Youngjae, Yugyeom or Bambam. He wouldn’t mind anyone _but_ Jaebeom at this point. The Crown Prince would only come in here to talk his ear off and pick on him for the smallest mistakes, and Jinyoung was pretty sure the temptation to murder the Prince would be almost too strong to resist.

Thankfully for him ( and Jaebeom ), it’s not the Crown Prince. When the familiar bob of dark brown hair pops into his view, Jinyoung breaks into his first smile after the long day.

“Hyung! I brought someone here to visit you!” Youngjae’s loud, but welcomed voice, fills his room and immediately Jinyoung feels better. He crooks his head a little, and his smile widens into a grin.

“Hey, Jinyoung. How’s the castle life been treating you?” Mark asks as he walks in behind Youngjae, a handsome smile on his face. He looks just as good as he did the first time they had met at the ball, even better now that Jinyoung could fully see his beautiful, angelic features on pale, white skin.

Though, Jinyoung doesn’t think of bedding him anymore, only to get to know him better. The older seems like he could potentially be one of Jinyoung’s closest, trusted friends in time to come.

Plus, there’s a sense of relief in seeing someone that you know, especially since Mark was the first person that Jinyoung truly had a conversation with in the castle.

“Mark hyung, Youngjae. I’m glad you guys came, I was going to die of boredom here. Plus, my shoulders are _killing me_ so if one of you could help me out that would be great,” Jinyoung groans as he flops back on the bed. Mark laughs and takes a seat by the foot of the bed, his coat brushing against Jinyoung’s fingers.

“Are you not warm in that?” Jinyoung asks as Youngjae pushes him to sit up again. The younger’s fingers press and knead away the knots in his muscles and he groans, dropping his head back in satisfaction.

“Not really, but what did Jaebeom do to you to make you like this? You look and sound like you’ve been working out the whole day,” Mark says. He’s a little more open now than he was at the ball, and Jinyoung’s grateful that Mark is still a constant ever since yesterday.

“He made me carry books and balance things on my head to make sure my ‘posture is perfect during dining’. Can you believe that shit?” Jinyoung lets the curse slip from his lips a little too aggressively and Youngjae bursts into laughter.

“Jaebeom hyung doesn’t even sit that straight, his back won’t allow it. He slouches all the time. I bet you have better posture than he does,” Youngjae says.

“Then what the heck did I do all that for? I just wasted my time and my back hurts. I have a headache coming on and I have names of Kingdoms to remember by tomorrow or your cousin,” Jinyoung nudges Mark with his finger, “is going to make me suffer even more,”

“What have I done to deserve this?” Jinyoung whines, rubbing his face repeatedly with his hands. Youngjae laughs and Mark grins down at him, patting his hand comfortingly.

“Don’t worry too much about it. Once Jackson hyung comes back, he’ll be sure to reign in Jaebeom hyung’s sadistic tendencies,” Youngjae says, shooting Mark a teasing look.

Jinyoung perks up at the mention of that familiar name. “Mark hyung, is it true that you’re in love with him? You can spare me the whole story of how and why if you don’t feel like telling me just yet,”

Mark flushes - his neck to his cheeks turning into a bright red. Jinyoung takes it as a yes and smirks, already ready to tease Mark about it. “I am not-! In love with him!”

"You are! Literally, everyone can see it, even Jaebeom hyung, and we all know how oblivious to human emotion he is," Youngjae points out, lightly nudging Mark on the shoulder. The oldest man simply smiles shyly, not commenting just yet.

“You look at him like he hung the stars in the sky and you literally get jealous at _every single ball or party_ when Jackson hyung is just seen with anyone else,”

“Oh, it’s _that_ bad? Then confess already,” Jinyoung says. Mark shoots him a surprised look, eyes bulging out.

“You can’t just _tell me_ to confess like that! I can’t-! We’re like best _bro-friends_ or whatever it is that he likes to say,” Mark explains exasperatedly.

“ _Bro-friends?_ Are you kidding me, hyung? There’s no way that Jackson hyung treats you as a brother. He buys you gifts every time you visit or when he comes back from his trips back home. He doesn’t do that for everyone, not even Jaebeom hyung and they’re _best friends,_ ”

“That one time when that drunk adviser from Gladiolus tried to touch you at the annual meeting, Jackson hyung literally _ran_ from the other side of the room to stop him. How can you think he doesn’t at least feel _something_ for you?” Youngjae asks, equally frustrated.

“This probably has been going on for a long time, huh? Did Jackson grow up with you guys, too?” Jinyoung asks.

“Nope, Jackson hyung was hired to be the Royal Ambassador of Paean when the King chanced upon him doing a performance in a faraway Kingdom. That was about five to six years ago, I think. The King had been looking for someone to represent Paean during that time and he figured Jackson hyung would make the perfect ambassador for his natural talent in charming people,” Youngjae explains.

“Well, he _is_ very charming,” Mark absentmindedly adds in. There’s a comical second of silence before Jinyoung and Youngjae burst out laughing and Mark turns an even deeper shade of red than before.

“See! This is what we’ve all been living with for the past few years!” Youngjae complains, poking Mark in the side teasingly. Mark swats him away, unwilling to say anything but his flushed cheeks and shy smile says everything for him, anyway.

“Then I suppose I can’t wait to meet this mystery lover of Mark hyung’s,”

“I think he might arrive in time for dinner, actually. He’s set to arrive today from his yearly visit back home. It’s been three quiet weeks since the castle has seen Jackson Wang,” Youngjae says thoughtfully.

“Really? Then I assume you’re staying till then?” Jinyoung turns to Mark, who shyly nods. Jinyoung is relieved, then.

It means that number one - he won't have to deal with dinner with the Royal Family alone. It's difficult and awkward enough to have the King and Queen walk in on breakfast, much less having to have a whole meal with them and Jaebeom. The Crown Prince would be scrutinising his every move, too. One wrong move for the wrong spoon or fork could cost Jinyoung another hour of practising tomorrow. Mark would definitely be a good distraction or interference.

Number two - he gets to tease Mark about it and he thinks that’ll be a good step-up in their blossoming friendship. He genuinely hopes that Mark would come to trust him just as much as Jinyoung wants to trust him one day.

 _Im Jaebeom can think however he likes, I couldn’t care less if he thinks I’m a gold digger for becoming friends with Mark hyung. Arrogant prick,_ Jinyoung thinks.

( He supposes it’s also a sort of revenge if he does get Mark to fully trust him and they sincerely become friends right in front of Jaebeom. It’ll prove him and his assumptions about Jinyoung completely wrong. The petty part of Jinyoung looks forward to that aspect. )

"Then shall we go? I'm kind of starving now that you mention dinner," Jinyoung says. Youngjae and Mark nod and the three of them make their way out of the guest room ( Jinyoung's? ) and into the hallways of the castle.

It still throws Jinyoung that he’ll be living in such a magnificent place for the next few months or so. Everything about the castle is aesthetically pleasing to him - the hanging fluorescent lights and carved peonies on the walls, to the marble white-and-gold flooring and matching white furniture.

He hasn’t been to the dining room yet, though he’s pretty sure it’s as enchanting as the rest of the castle.

He’s proven right when his eyes land on the huge, glimmering chandelier that overlooks the long, beige wood table in the centre of the room. Trays and jugs of food and drinks are already set on the table, along with fine rose-gold cutlery.

Yugyeom is already seated at the table with his father, who takes the head seat at the table. The father and son pair are initiated in a light-hearted conversation and they look up when Mark and Jinyoung arrive at the table.

“Ah, Mark. It’s good to see you again. I didn’t manage to ask you yesterday, but how is your father doing? Better, I hope? His health seems to get worse as the seasons change this quickly,” The King asks.

“He is recuperating well at home and I’ll send him your regards, uncle. Thank you for inviting me over for dinner today. My mother has sent me over with some of our homemade wine to enjoy,” Mark replies, dipping into a perfect 45 degree angled bow.

“Then send my thanks to my sister. Take a seat, you two. Jinyoung, your seat shall be here from now on, next to Jaebeom.” The King gestures to the second seat to his right, opposite Yugyeom. “He should be coming down in a minute with the Queen,”

Jinyoung nods, awkwardly shuffling over to his designated chair next to his _fiance_ and plops down, not really bothering about his posture just yet.

The food on the table smells heavenly; trays of thinly sliced premium meats with bowls of various salads, all fancier than all the meals Jinyoung has ever had combined. A steaming plate of fried noodles is set right in front of Jinyoung and he can already taste how good they will be on his tongue.

 _Where the hell is Im Jaebeom? Can’t he hurry up so we can start eating already?_ Jinyoung thinks, casting a glance at the doors to the dining room. He hadn't been expecting them to swing open right in that second and vaguely wonders if the universe is toying with him in some way.

 

* * *

 

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Dining Room_ **

 

“Jaebeom, _Jagi_ ,” The King addresses the Queen and Jaebeom as they walk in arm in arm. Jaebeom nods at his father, eyes glancing over at Jinyoung who looks fairly uninterested at his arrival.

Jaebeom doesn’t bother calling him out just yet. Instead, he smiles at his mother - a fond, loving one as he pulls out her chair and helps her into her seat.

“Remember what I told you, Beommie,” The Queen tells him softly. Jaebeom can immediately feel Jinyoung’s curious gaze on them. “You never know if you don’t try,” his mother whispers into his ear, a cheeky tone to her gentle voice. Jaebeom sighs and nods, patting her hand assuringly although he isn’t sure if he’ll actually be able to do what his mother wants him to do.

“ _Eomma,_ what did you tell Jaebeom hyung? I wanna know too~” Yugyeom whines softly as he tugs at his mother’s arm. Jaebeom shoots him a wry smile and Yugyeom pouts, turning to his mother to get answers.

“You’ll understand when your time comes, Gyeommie. For now, let’s focus on dinner, shall we?”  The Queen pinches Yugyeom’s cheek affectionately, and the younger prince doesn’t push the topic any further. Jaebeom smiles softly at the both of them as he makes his way over to Jinyoung’s side, at the right hand of his father.

He slowly settles himself down, half-concerned about how his posture but also not really bothering to perfect it. _It’s just a family dinner, anyway. It’s not like Park Jinyoung can do anything about it,_ he thinks sulkily.

Their knees are nearly touching and Jaebeom secretly shuffles his foot a fraction away to prevent any possibility of them touching unnecessarily. Jinyoung doesn’t seem to notice, his eyes focused on the display of various foods in front of him. _He’s practically drooling over it,_ Jaebeom thinks to himself in amusement.

He looks up and catches Mark staring at him, eyes glinting with something Jaebeom can't identify. It's gone soon enough when Mark shoots him a grin. _Weird._ If Jaebeom has anything to say, he holds it off until after dinner has started.

“Dig in, children. Today’s dinner is a celebration for Jinyoung’s first day with us in the castle, and for the future Kings of Paean. I hope all of you welcome Jinyoung and take care of him in the days to come.” The King smiles benevolently at Jinyoung, who sends an equally sincere smile back.

Jaebeom is glad and eternally grateful that his father hadn’t made him do some horrible speech about Jinyoung’s arrival to the castle and the whole marriage thing. It’s embarrassing enough to have to walk down the hallways and have the servants congratulate him on getting engaged, much less having to _talk_ about it in front of people.

He focuses on picking some of his favourite food into his plate - slices of roasted pork and smoked duck, along with some potato salad and _soondubu jjigae._ He happily sips on the tangy broth and lets the curdled tofu melt on his tongue, half-listening in on the conversation going on between Jinyoung and his family.

"...the soup. It's Jaebeommie's favourite." Jaebeom's head shoots up at the mention of his name from his mother's mouth. Next to him, Jinyoung pauses almost as if someone had clicked the off switch in him. Jaebeom can see the literal gears turning in his head like he's trying to figure out if that sentence meant anything or not.

Jaebeom shoots his mother a pained look, almost pleading for her not to put them both in such a spot. It’s easy to be all tough and hostile with Jinyoung when they’re alone. When they’re among an audience, Jaebeom doesn’t have a single clue about how to act with the younger man. Jinyoung seems to be having the same problem, and they exchange a quick look of awkwardness which makes them both flinch away. He can _feel_ the amusement radiating off his mother.

 _God, why am I acting like this? It looks as if I’m actually in love with him or something,_ Jaebeom internally laments. He can sense Jinyoung shifting uncomfortably next to him, and his brain goes into panic mode and makes him blurt out whatever comes to his mind the quickest.

“Mark hyung-!” he calls, making his cousin look up from his plate of fried noodles. The older raises an eyebrow, still chewing his food. “Are you waiting for Jackson to come back today? He told me to make sure you stayed. I think he might have something for you again,”

That _definitely_ gets the attention off him and Jinyoung. Mark blushes as red as Jaebeom’s soup and shoots him a glare, though it’s not nearly as fierce as he wants it to be with his flushed cheeks. Yugyeom coos at Mark, poking him in the sides teasingly.

“P-perhaps...perhaps I might, then,” Mark shyly replies, hiding his face by stuffing his mouth full of noodles. Jaebeom smiles victoriously, proud of himself for getting out of that mess safely. He glances at Jinyoung - half expecting the younger to be looking back at him for some reason - but he isn’t.

Jinyoung is _smiling_ at Mark - a teasing, _annoyingly affectionate_ one - and his cousin is shyly smiling right back at Jinyoung. Jaebeom has never seen Jinyoung smile before, and now he thinks that the image will stick in his mind forever.

The obvious wrinkles by his eyes and the crescent curves of them; the roundness of his cheeks and full, pink lips that pull back into a soft smirk. It’s amazingly, _irritatingly,_ attractive of Park Jinyoung. It vexes Jaebeom even more that the smile is directed at Mark, who seems to be the person that Jinyoung has ever shown some sort of interest in.

 _I should have just let him choke on his soup,_ Jaebeom thinks disgruntledly. He doesn’t even know what annoys him. The fact that Jinyoung has already formed a friendship with his cousin? The fact that they probably have some inside joke that not even Jaebeom is aware of? The fact that Jinyoung is smiling at Mark for something that _he_ did?

 _A gold digger, after all,_ Jaebeom concludes, a little pettily. _You can’t really blame him for choosing Mark hyung over you, though? All you’ve done is torture him the whole day with stupid practices and lessons. Additionally, you_ are _pretty mean to him every time you two interact,_ the voice in his head points out.

 _So? He’s not exactly the nicest to me, is he? Who’s side are you on, anyway? Mine or Jinyoung’s? I’m feeling awfully betrayed by my own conscience right now,_ Jaebeom retorts.

 _I’m called your conscience for a reason, you idiot. I’m here to make sure you don’t go overboard with your stubbornness and asshole tendencies._ Jaebeom mentally rolls his eyes, feeling even _more_ irked that his own conscience is choosing Park Jinyoung over him.

 _Well, I don’t care what you think. I’m going to make sure Park Jinyoung knows his place soon enough, whether my conscience agrees with it or not,_ Jaebeom decides with a note of finality. _If you say so!_ the voice singsongs before it disappears, going back to wherever Jaebeom has hidden it.

Jinyoung is innocently eating some salad next to him, chewing on the crunchy greens as he listens to Yugyeom talk about something that Jaebeom has no idea about. The younger man nods along in consideration and gives his input whenever needed, seemingly absorbed in the conversation.

Jaebeom doesn’t know why or what is wrong with him, but _every single thing_ about Park Jinyoung ticks him off. Logically, he knows it’s crazy and unreasonable of him to be mad at the younger for no apparent reason at all. However, the sulky, petty part of him likes to use the excuse of mutual hostility and hatred between them to fuel this unspoken war he had waged with Jinyoung, and he doesn’t intend on giving up any time soon.

He digs into his own salad a little too aggressively, stabbing the potato chunks harshly with the tines of his fork. Jinyoung doesn’t pay any attention to him, and neither does anyone else since all of them are absorbed into their own conversations.

His parents and Mark are talking about some future plans for a holiday down to an island together while Yugyeom and Jinyoung are going on about some wizard thing of sorts. Jaebeom has never felt the need for interruption as much as right now.

And bless _God_ , his interruption arrives in the form of Jackson Wang.

“Your majesty! I have arrived home.” Jackson is the kind of person that can fill up a whole room with his charming antiques and grand gestures. He’s the kind of person that can entertain a crowd with his loving character and charisma, never failing to brighten up the atmosphere when he needs to.

But he’s also a person of depth and more knowledge than Jaebeom has ever seen in a person. The knowledge that Jackson holds isn’t the academic kind, it’s the kind about people. He knows how to read someone and always goes the extra mile to understand them, resulting in him becoming some sort of golden boy in the whole Kingdom.

He's the perfect ambassador that any Kingdom can wish for - smart, charming, understanding - a good person in general. There's a reason why he's Jaebeom's best friend despite knowing each other for a shorter period of time in comparison to Youngjae and Bambam. Tonight, especially at this moment, Jaebeom is more than grateful for someone like Jackson in his life.

“Ah, nice of you to finally return home, Jackson! How was the trip back home? I hope your family is doing well and that you managed to rest,” The King greets with a warm, fatherly smile. Jackson goes up to him and swoops into a deep bow, rising with a grin.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My family sends their thanks for allowing this trip and they greatly appreciated the treats you gave. I also have some news on the neighbouring Kingdoms and some _rumours_ ,” Jackson’s eyes flutter to Jaebeom, and the Crown Prince raises an eyebrow. “About some recent _events_ that I think you would like to know,”

The King pretends not to notice the obvious implication and nods, smiling. “We’ll talk about that tomorrow. For now, why don’t you join us for dinner? There’s too much food for us to finish and I’m sure the trip back home has left you famished,”

Jackson happily obliges, making a beeline straight to the seat next to Mark. “Hey Markie hyung,” he greets, trying but ultimately failing to whisper. The rest of them pretend not to notice and carry on with their dinner, but Jaebeom catches Yugyeom’s eye across the table and they share a knowing smirk.

 _Whipped,_ his younger brother mouths to him, grinning devilishly. _Definitely whipped,_ Jaebeom mouths back. One of their favourite things to do is tease Mark about Jackson and vice versa, though Jackson usually ends up more confused than embarrassed. His dear best friend is in denial and completely unaware of his effects on Jaebeom's dear cousin and often wonders why people think they're a couple when all he does is be nice to Mark.

( When questioned, Jackson often goes, “Isn’t that what you do to people you like? I like Mark hyung so of course, I’d care about him,” and it drives Jaebeom _crazy_. Jackson is known to not filter his words and wear his heart of his sleeve, especially with Jaebeom since the two tell each other everything under the sun.

It’s a good trait of his - one of the characteristics of Jackson that Jaebeom likes more than the rest. However, when it comes to this, Jaebeom doesn’t know whether to take Jackson literally or not. He also doesn’t know whether to push the topic because the last thing he wants is ruining anything for Mark, so he’s often caught in this horrible spot of being in the middle. )

Mark doesn't notice them looking, too preoccupied with Jackson Wang. They're sitting close, shoulders almost touching as Jackson leans over to show Mark some new bracelet he had obtained on his trip.

Jaebeom watches in fascination ( at Jackson’s obliviousness ) as the younger man produces a matching one from his pocket and puts it on for Mark. He can see and _feel_ his cousin's embarrassment and fluster from where he's seated; a wide, shy smile on tugging at his lips with his cheeks tinting pink.

 _Oh my God, they really have to sort this will-they-won’t-they thing before one of us loses our minds and steps in for them. I wonder if-_ Jaebeom’s thoughts are cut off with a light, smokey laughter from next to him. He glances over, totally unprepared to see Park Jinyoung laughing with his cousin.

Not even laughing - _giggling._ Jinyoung’s eyes are curved into those stupid, annoying half-moons again and he hides his wide smile behind a hand, his head tipping back slightly as he lets out a deep _ha ha ha_. His light brown hair flops lightly as he moves and he absentmindedly runs a hand through it, letting the strands fall back in place properly.

Mark is blushing even redder than before after this supposed inside joke he has with Jinyoung, and Jinyoung has the audacity to _wink_ at him. Jaebeom nearly chokes on his food, eyes darting away quickly as his face burns.

 _What the fuck,_ is all Jaebeom can think. Neither Mark nor Jinyoung notices him and his act of creepily staring, but Jackson definitely does. His best friend is staring right back at him when Jaebeom deems it safe to look up again. His face isn't hot anymore, but he can feel the spark of something in his chest that makes him feel like a ticking time bomb.

“You okay, hyung?” Jackson asks worriedly. Jinyoung, Mark and Yugyeom all glance at him, curious about what happened. Jaebeom doesn’t know why, but it annoys him even more that they’re worried. He grunts in reply, going back to his food and avoiding Jinyoung’s weird gaze. After a moment, all of them go back to their own conversations and he can hear Jinyoung interacting with Jackson from his side.

 _Who does he think he is to come here and steal my friends and family like this, huh? It’s not like he’s some celebrity. All he can do is some fancy spells and make some stupid potions yet everyone acts like he’s some baby that needs to be protected,_ Jaebeom grumbles internally.

 _Isn’t he a wizard? He can protect himself even better than all of us with his fancy spells and potions and whatnot. All he does is flirt all his free time away with Mark hyung like they’re all chummy and close,_ he thinks, internally rolling his eyes in annoyance.

 _I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up flirting with the rest of them, too. So what if he’s all cute and princely? It’s not like being good-looking is going to help him rule a damned kingdom._ Jaebeom doesn’t even know why he’s so frustrated with Park Jinyoung and his stupidly beautiful smile and _goddamn_ adorable eye whiskers.

Jinyoung didn’t even do anything but Jaebeom can’t help but stick to this bad impression that he has had of Jinyoung since the night of the ball when they first met. Jaebeom trusts his gut more than anything else - he always has been since he was young and set to rule Paean one day.

His gut is telling him, right now, that Jinyoung is something new and scary that Jaebeom has never met in his life. He feels lost and confused with himself, his future, his life that _had_ been paved out for him since birth. It’s as if his path has been obstructed by the being that is Jinyoung and he can’t seem to find a way around it just yet.

It scares him, to suddenly have to accept someone new into his life just because he _has_ to. The knowledge that he can’t be more than what he already is if he doesn’t commit his life to someone else makes him feel awfully useless and vulnerable, which isn’t something Jaebeom enjoys.

Then in the centre of it all - Park Jinyoung. The bringer of this new chapter and game-changer, someone that feels like a cataclysm to his life and Jaebeom doesn't know how else to react other than to dislike him.

 _He can act all entitled and modest as he wants, but I’m not gonna fall for his act. I’m going to make sure he learns where he belongs tomorrow, smug ass jerk,_ Jaebeom evilly thinks. Jinyoung is still focused on his food and the conversation, blissfully unaware of whatever Jaebeom has in store for him.

_If he’s so determined on getting into this castle and family, then I’ll be the one to make sure he has one hell of a time trying._

 

* * *

 

**_In Alstroemeria Woods, by the borders of Paean_ **

 

"Ok Taecyeon-ssi? Please open up," the messenger - a middle-aged, scrawny man with greasy brown hair, calls from the door. _A messenger? Mail? Since when did we get mail? Am I going to be murdered?_ Taecyeon wonders as he gets up from his spot on the couch.

"Yes? How can I help you, good sir?" he asks good-naturedly. The man at the door seems pretty harmless with his bamboo-like frame and too far apart eyes. Taecyeon does a quick once-over of his outfit and sticks by his stand. _Definitely harmless. Probably one of the King’s men, too, with that whole royal colour get up and flower crest._

“Good evening, Taecyeon-ssi. I have a message from the Crown Prince, Im Jaebeom, with regards to the recent involvement of your apprentice in some _royal affairs_. I am sure you know of the news announced just this morning,” the man says, pulling out a rolled up parchment with the royal seal on it.

“Oh, a royal decree. Let’s hear it, then,” Taecyeon says, placing his hands on his hips and leaning against the wooden door frame. He _had_ heard bits and pieces of Jinyoung’s recent engagement with the oldest prince of Paean, but he knows Jinyoung well enough to trust the younger man to take care of himself.

Besides, when the announcement was made during the ball yesterday night, he had been a little too intoxicated and _distracted_ to be paying full attention to the news and had only gotten home way past midnight to remember it.

The messenger clears his throat, squinting slightly at the black ink on the yellowed parchment. “The Crown Prince of Paean, Im Jaebeom, hereby declares Wizard Ok Taecyeon as the Royal Wizard and you are to serve the royal family of Paean until death. In the case of your parting, your duty will be passed down to your apprentice, Park Jinyoung. You will be provided-”

“Wait, wait, I’m not fully understanding this declaration. _I’ve_ been asked to become a Royal Wizard? I thought Paean didn’t have one of those. I’m not even a citizen of this Kingdom, why would the Prince do this?” Taecyeon asks suspiciously.

"I am sure Prince Jaebeom has his reasons," the man replies dryly, seemingly eager to finish up with Taecyeon and be off. "You will be provided with any housing or equipment that you might require at the castle should you want to live there. If not, you are requested to at least report to the castle once every fortnight and transport will be provided,"

"I can't exactly reject this decree, can I?" The messenger shakes his head. Taecyeon sucks in a deep breath and weighs his options. _On one hand, living here would give me the freedom and space I need. Plus, I wouldn’t have to shift all my stuff and Jinyoung’s over, so it’s definitely less troublesome._

_But on the other hand, it makes sense to work and live in the same place. I wouldn’t have to commute a few damned hours every fortnight and they’re already offering to cover my living expenses. Besides, I can be closer to Jinyoungie that way and who knows what kind of trouble he’ll stir up for the poor prince._

“Okay, then. Um…” Taecyeon turns to look back into his house - all his belongings a mess. Books are half-opened and strewn over the coffee table, his coat and socks thrown tossed haphazardly all over the floor and unwashed dishes from the day stacked up in the sink. Without Jinyoung to keep him in check, he’s been slacking off on all the chores all day.

"When can I move in? Is there like a set date or time or…?" Taecyeon vaguely gestures in question. The messenger visibly resists and eye-roll and Taecyeon feels slightly offended.

“The Crown Prince will send a carriage tomorrow to bring you and your belongings to the castle,”

"Right, of course. Oh and, before you go, would you please pass something to Park Jinyoung for me? I figured he would be missing it quite a bit," Taecyeon says. He rushes back into the house and to Jinyoung's bedroom, not caring about their rule for the moment. He grabs the book that Jinyoung always carries around and scribbles a quick note on a fresh sheet of parchment before slipping it in. He also picks up Jinyoung's wand on the way out, carefully wrapping the piece of wood in a handkerchief. Jinyoung had been wanting to practice his wand work recently and Taecyeon figures he would appreciate the distraction.

“Here you go. Make sure it goes to Jinyoung and Jinyoung _only._ Strictly wizarding business,” Taecyeon says with a wink. The messenger sighs and nods, stuffing the items into his sachet before taking a step away from the door.

“Have a good day, Ok Taecyeon-ssi. The carriage will be here tomorrow afternoon. Please be ready by then.” The messenger bows, just for the sake of formalities and necessity, before getting on his horse and riding off. Taecyeon watches him go, a thought starting to brew in his head.

“So Jinyoung is going to become a King, huh?” Taecyeon voices out to the empty forest. A breeze blows by, ruffling the leaves of the surrounding trees and cooling the sweat off his face. The sun is beginning to set on the horizon and the sunlight paints the sky in hues of pink and orange. He can feel the magic of the earth and the surrounding air flow into his veins as he takes a deep breath in and he lets his runes glow with the brand new raw energy. He shuts his eyes and a memory resurfaces like a lucid dream he can't ever forget. 

 

* * *

 

_“Please, please, Taecyeon-ssi. Take him, and teach him your magic. Please, help our Jinyoungie live on as if nothing happened,” Haejeong begs, gripping tightly onto Taecyeon’s forearms. Taecyeon grimaces as her sharp, manicured fingernails dig into the flesh of his already injured arms._

_Taecyeon’s eyes dart between Haejeong and the young boy, his skinny, pale hands grabbing his mother’s cloak tightly in fear as he hides behind her. “I can’t, Haejeong-ssi. I really can’t afford to bring a kid along with me considering the situation. Maybe it-”_

_“Taecyeon-ssi. Consider this a payback for that favour my husband did for you, please. Jinyoungie is my precious, one and only son. I can’t afford to let him lose his future like this,” her voice is pained and rushed, her eyes glancing nervously at the locked door. Footsteps sound loudly outside as the men bark out orders, a mass of complete pandemonium._

_“He will grow up and he_ will _remember this day, and the days of his life will be ridden with guilt forever. Would you let your son live like this? Could you? There has to be a better option than taking him away like this,” Taecyeon tries to reason, gripping Haejeong’s forearms back to try to persuade her._

_Someone bangs on the door and they hear a loud groan, followed by curses. Something else explodes outside the window and Taecyeon sees the smoke rise up through the scratched glass. Taecyeon peers outside and can make put the oncoming shadow of an armada of gunboats._

_“If you had a son, you will understand. I would_ die _to let him live so please, Taecyeon-ssi. Take him somewhere safe and protect him until he can live on his own. That is all I ask of you, as one final favour.” Someone bangs on the door again, but this time that someone is coming for them._

_“Open up! We know you’re in there! Come out and we shall spare your lives,” the man yells, pounding his fist harshly on the wooden door of the library that they’re hiding in. Jinyoung jumps, his dirt-smudged face twisting into a deep frown. Haejeong’s tears stream down her equally dirty face in rivulets, fear shining through her eyes as she glances at the door again._

_“We don’t have much time, Taecyeon-ssi,_ please. _Erase his memories of this kingdom and its people and take him somewhere far away - a kingdom that no one can find any of you in.”She looks to Taecyeon, the fear being replaced with resolution and that fiery love that can only appear when it comes to one’s loved ones._

_“You could bear the pain of your own offspring never remembering you existed?” he asks, a little surprised at this display of selflessness even at the end of her life._

_“I would die for my children, even more so now that Jinyoung is the only one I have left. I have gone through too much loss and pain, and so has Jinyoung. I can’t bear to let him remember any of this as he lives the rest of his life so please, Taecyeon-ssi.”Taecyeon can feel the determination pouring off her, glances to Jinyoung, and decides in a split second._

_“I’ll do my best.” Taecyeon bows his head, feeling a warm liquid drip down from his forehead. He isn’t sure if it’s blood or sweat anymore. “Come, Jinyoung. We have to hurry,”_

_“No! Eomma, I don’t want to leave you.” Taecyeon hasn’t known the young teenager for a long time, but it’s the first time he’s seen Jinyoung cry since the battle started. His heart aches and clenches tightly in his chest, wishing desperately for another way out of this, but time is ticking and it’s almost up for them._

_“You have to go with Taecyeon-ssi, Jinyoung. Escape and live, my little blossom. Live and prosper like I know you are destined to, and don’t ever lose sight of what you want and who you are. I will always love you, Jinyoung-ah. Be safe,” Haejeong whispers, her voice cracking on the last syllable before she presses a shaking kiss to Jinyoung’s forehead for the last time._

_Taecyeon doesn't waste any time in hoisting Jinyoung's scrawny frame up on to his shoulders, ignoring the pain that flares throughout his aching body. Jinyoung bursts into tears; Taecyeon can feel the warm wetness that soaks into and forms a new patch on his bloody shoulder._

_He doesn’t hesitate to make a break for it, knowing that any more time spent in the library would only result in all their deaths. He runs as fast as his weary legs can carry him, going through the connecting doors to the little prince’s bedroom and then out to the staircase, where dead bodies litter the ground and paint the white marble in red._

_Taecyeon wrinkles his nose and grabs the end of his cloak, tossing the tattered end over Jinyoung’s eyes. Jinyoung is still crying, though it’s softer this time. Taecyeon covers his eyes with the cloak, sparing him the sight of the bloodshed as he moves them out of the main building and into the gardens._

_He can hear soldiers running after them, loud clunks of metal and the heavy stomp of boots followed by shouts. “Stop! We see you, Wizard. Drop the boy and your life will be spared,” The man commands, brandishing his bloodied sword that reflects and shines in the sunlight. Taecyeon groans, setting down Jinyoung._

_"Go hide behind that tree, I'll be back for you really quick. Promise," Taecyeon mutters as he pats the little boy's messy mop of hair. The said boy hesitates for a second, but he rushes off as instructed._

_“You lot won’t be touching Jinyoung. Not on my watch,” Taecyeon growls, muttering a spell and lifting his hands. The ground shoots up beneath the men in spikes, spearing through some of their bellies and chests - spluttering blood everywhere on the fresh grass. Taecyeon doesn’t waste time in delivering his next attack; he uproots the two trees next to him and sends them flying toward the men, knocking them all flat._

_It takes a lot out of him. His runes are barely drawing enough energy from the land here, and he’s used too much too quickly for the past few hours. He won’t last like this. “Jinyoung-ah! Where are you?”_

_Jinyoung steps out of his hiding spot, Taecyeon’s cloak still draped over his shoulders and the ends touching the grass. Taecyeon runs over and picks him up again, holding his slim but small frame close to his chest before running off again. He just needs to get to the port, and they’ll be safe. He hopes Wooyoung and the rest are still waiting, if they’ve even made it there alive yet._

_His legs move on their own, the exhaustion being overridden by the need to survive. He moves through the wrecked town, the streets empty of any people. Only bodies lay on the floor, and Taecyeon sends a quick prayer up to the heavens for the lost souls._

_Then finally, he reaches the port. For a moment, all he can see is the wide, open ocean. The armada of gunboats is at the far end, almost hidden by a huge rock that blocks them from being seen. And then he spots a familiar spot of brown and black, and hope blooms in his chest again._

_“Junho!” he calls, willing his feet to keep moving. Jinyoung peeks his head out from the cloak, eyes squinting against the setting sun._

_“Hyung! You’re here! I thought you wouldn’t make it. Come, the rest of them are waiting,” Junho says, leading them to the ship. It’s not much of a battleship but a leisure cruiser, though it suffices in fitting all the remaining people who had survived. “Up, up! Nickhun! The anchor!”_

_“Did we all make it?” Taecyeon asks, setting Jinyoung down. The boy stands shakily, fingers still twisted in Taecyeon’s shirt for support. Taecyeon wraps an arm around him, and Jinyoung seems appreciative of the sense of security. Junho nods, grinning as he bends down to observe Jinyoung. The teenager seems mildly surprised, though he doesn’t show it much._

_“So...you’re in charge of babysitting from now on?” Junho asks, the joke falling short of his usual bubbliness. Taecyeon does him a favour by not pointing it out. Instead, he bends down and buckles his cloak properly around Jinyoung’s much narrower shoulders, offering up a kind smile._

_"I'm sorry for this but I said I would," Taecyeon whispers, pressing two fingers to Jinyoung's forehead. A faint blue light glows under his fingers and Jinyoung's eyes fall shut for a second before they blink open. Jinyoung looks at him as if they've never met._

_“Who are you? What am I doing here?” The young boy asks warily, quickly stepping away from them. Taecyeon smiles, though his heart shatters into a billion pieces in his chest._

_“I’m Ok Taecyeon and from today onwards, you’re my apprentice,”_

 

* * *

 

“Fate sure likes to play tricks on people, huh? To think that Jinyoungie would end up…” Taecyeon sighs, shaking his head with a light laugh as he goes back into his home. He glances at the time - it’s well past seven now.

“Better get packing. Big moving day tomorrow,” Taecyeon announces to the empty room as he rolls up his sleeves. He wonders if this was all planned, if this was a cruel twist of fate or a blessing in disguise. He wonders, if one day, Jinyoung will eventually know. If he does, will Jinyoung forgive him? Will Jinyoung still serve by his side as his dear apprentice? Or would Jinyoung go on a journey to look for who he really is?

“Ah, I can’t predict what will happen this time. Isn’t this an interesting turn of events? With all of this coincidences, I might almost think magic had a part in it,” Taecyeon sighs as he picks up his coat and socks from yesterday night and starts a pile in the middle of the living room.

 _If it's Park Jinyoung, I'm sure he'll be able to pull through it. I don't know any other kid that's as strong-willed and resilient as he is. Even then, he had been strong amidst all that chaos,_ Taecyeon fondly thinks.

He looks up, imagining a clear blue sky filled with endless possibilities. He thinks of Jinyoung, with his natural air of regality and knack for listening and helping people. "Your Highness, are you seeing this? It seems that soon, your son is going to end up where he was meant to be all these years,"


	4. ruta graveolens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sort of the turning point (?) in their relationship, I suppose. silver lining will also be going in hiatus for a few weeks while I work on another project but I'll be back in about three (?) weeks with a brand new chapter! You might wanna treat this as some sort of season finale before things finally start to get heated in the next chapter ;) If anything, please feel free to hmu on [twitter](https://twitter.com/tdystmr) <3

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s bedroom_ **

 

“Oh, Jaebeom hyung! Open up, it’s your favourite person on earth here to bless your afternoon!” Jackson announces loudly as he swoops into the room, arms outstretched and a wide, smug grin on his face. Jaebeom doesn’t even spare him a glance, too engrossed in his book.

“Jaebeom hyung~” Jackson coos, walking over and tapping his best friend on the shoulder. Jaebeom raises an eyebrow, humming in question. “Won’t you at least look at me? I’ve been gone for nearly a month and this is what I come home to? I should have stayed there,” Jackson whines, nudging Jaebeom’s shoulder with an elbow.

“Mmhm, I’m sure you could have survived without seeing Mark hyung longer,” Jaebeom dryly replies, eyes still glued to the pages of his novel. It’s an old one that he had found recently, the dusty hardback cover standing out to him in the corner of the library. He hadn’t seen it there before and it had intrigued him immediately. 

“Hey! You make it sound as if I only miss him when I’m gone,” Jackson exclaims, mildly offended. Jaebeom snorts, bookmarking his novel and shutting it. He turns in his chair at his desk and faces Jackson, who has taken a seat on Jaebeom’s plush king-size bed. 

“You did only get him a gift. The second you stepped in it was  _ all  _ Mark hyung and no one else and while I am happy that you two are having your little ‘moments’ or whatever it is, your best friend,” Jaebeom points to himself with a little pout, “has been suffering for the past two days,” 

Jackson barks out a laugh, slapping his own thigh. “You? Why would you be suffering? You got  _ engaged,  _ hyung. Isn’t that something worth celebrating?” 

“Celebrating? Are you crazy? Park Jinyoung isn’t exactly a prize worth throwing a party for,” Jaebeom points out, sighing heavily. 

“Why not? He seemed pretty nice and well-mannered from yesterday’s dinner. On top of that, he’s quite handsome, isn’t he? You two would make quite the couple,” Jackson says teasingly, his lips tilting up at the corners into a cheeky smile. Jaebeom glares at him, more in a warning than in anger. 

“What? If Yugyeommie and Markie hyung didn’t think you and Jinyoung would make a good match, they wouldn’t have gone to your father like that. Besides, I heard they’ve all taken quite a liking to Jinyoung, including Youngjae and Bambam,” 

Jaebeom groans, not needing to be reminded any longer that he’s seemingly the only one in the castle who has a strong dislike for their newest guest. “It doesn’t matter if he’s likeable, he has to know how to  _ rule a damn kingdom  _ to be King with me. He's been so distracted in the lessons and he isn't performing as he should. At this rate, he won't-"

“Are you sure you aren’t just being too harsh on him?” Jackson interrupts, eyebrows lifted. “I don’t wanna  _ lie  _ and say I didn’t drop by the library earlier to take a little peek at the new couple.” He holds both hands up in surrender, and Jaebeom sighs again.

Truthfully, Jaebeom  _ knows  _ he's being unnecessarily harsh on Jinyoung. He knows that yelling at or criticising the younger for every minuscule mistake he makes is taking it a  _ little  _ too far. He knows that making Jinyoung memorise all the kingdoms in the area and then the map in a single night was probably a  _ tad bit  _ too much.

Okay so maybe, it was a little more than that. 

“He isn’t exactly the best or most adaptable student, is he? He glares or rolls his eyes at me all the damn time, not to mention the scoffing and snide comments. He refuses to correct his mistakes at a go and  _ always  _ drags it on on purpose. As much as that stupid wizard is suffering, so am I. Shouldn’t you care for your best friend first?” 

Jackson’s eyes light up. “Wait, he’s a wizard! I totally forgot! I have some things I have to ask him about this spell my mother was talking about to relieve her back aches. What time will you be meeting him again?”

Jaebeom groans in frustration again, squeezing his eyes shut and wishing all of this was just some nightmare and that he’ll wake up without a Park Jinyoung in his life. But of course, it fails and it’s just Jackson sitting in front of him, staring at him quizzically when he opens his eyes again.

“Well?”

“In about ten minutes. Please come with. I think we really might end up murdering each other this time if we spend any more time alone,” Jaebeom says.

Jackson chortles, smirking at Jaebeom. “Time alone for new couples is  _ dangerous _ . With the privacy of your study, the comfortable couch, so much  _ time  _ and  _ space _ ...” Jackson winks, and Jaebeom chokes.

“Jackson! You can’t say that-! Don’t- don’t be inappropriate,” Jaebeom huffs, his mind flashing back to the image his betraying imagination had conjured up of Jinyoung while he was in the showers. The lewd scene of Jinyoung draped in loose silk with flushed cheeks and swollen lips unwillingly comes to his mind again and he flushes, looking away.

“Aww, come on Jaebeom hyung! You  _ know  _ it’ll happen eventually and it’s not like you’re the most innocent person in the castle, are you? Remember all those times when you’ve hooked up with those innocent ladies at those parties or the rich young men when you were still  _ experimenting _ ?” Jackson asks, poking Jaebeom’s thigh with his toe. 

Jaebeom remembers that period. It was when he had first hit twenty and spent most of his time visiting the neighbouring kingdoms with Jackson and Yugyeom. He had spent most nights outside of the castle - venturing the streets, visiting bars then getting drunk, spending the nights with random strangers and enjoying his youth while it lasts. 

“It doesn’t matter now, does it? This isn’t just  _ hooking up  _ with someone I meet at a bar on a drunk night just for the fun of it. I’m supposed to  _ marry  _ this guy. That lasts for life and you know how I feel about it,”

“I do, but I also know that you’d do anything to make sure this kingdom prospers. Jaebeom hyung, as much as this arrangement pisses you off, as Paean’s ambassador and one of its citizens I  _ do  _ wish you the best for this marriage.” Jackson pats Jaebeom’s thigh. Jaebeom looks at Jackson, his lips pressing together in a thin line. 

“It may suck a  _ lot  _ now but I genuinely do think it could work out if you both try, you know?” Jackson says, shrugging. Jaebeom pouts, not willing to reply just yet. He  _ knows  _ it’s being a little childish of him and quite un-kingly, but how is someone supposed to react when you’re being married off to a stranger that seems to hate you? 

Jackson doesn’t seem to mind his silence. Instead, the ambassador fills the quietness with his own voice of reason and Jaebeom is thankful.

“How about this? I’ll accompany you to the rest of your lessons or whatever it is you guys have to do, and if I see that there really isn’t a way for you two to live in harmony for the good of this kingdom, I’ll try talking to your father about it. Y’know, see if my advice will change anything. Plus, we  _ all  _ know he cares about my opinion quite a bit,” 

Jaebeom pauses briefly, narrowing his eyes at Jackson. “There’s a catch though, isn’t there? Name your price, Wang,” 

“What? No! There’s no price for the help of your trusty, reliable and lovable best friend,” Jackson grins, leaning his head on Jaebeom’s pillow. He swings his legs up on the bed despite his boots and Jaebeom’s protests, crossing them relaxedly. Jaebeom rolls his eyes. 

“Promise me you’ll at least try. Promise me that you’ll  _ try _ your best, and only your best, to find some peace between you and Jinyoung, if not a friendship at the very least. I’m not asking you to fall in love with him because I know how much this sucks for you, but I would like to see the day where you two can sit next to each other and have a proper, good conversation.” Jackson pokes Jaebeom in the side, causing the Crown Prince to flinch away with a scowl.

“If I do try but it still fails, you’ll talk to my father?” Jaebeom asks, grabbing Jackson’s finger and gripping it tightly until his best friend looks him dead in the eye. Jackson stares up at him, unblinking and eyes unwavering. He nods once, and Jaebeom knows he has his word. 

“Fine, then. I’ll have a go at it, but I can’t promise you Jinyoung will cooperate,” Jaebeom shrugs as he stands up and slips his jacket on. Jackson bounces to his feet and habitually slings his arm around Jaebeom’s broad shoulders even though the older man has a good few centimetres on him. 

“Don’t worry about Jinyoung. I’m sure he’ll come around once he sees that you’re being sincere about it. Besides, you two are already at each other’s throats constantly, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like you can actually murder each other, can you?” 

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s study_ **

 

Jackson should really,  _ really  _ know better by now. After being friends with the hot-tempered, stubborn ass that Jaebeom can be at times, how had he not seen this coming? He should also have figured out by now that Jinyoung wasn't exactly the most patient and amiable person so really, he should have known better that this was bound to happen at some point.

“Okay! Let’s all calm down, shall we? Jaebeom hyung, please let go of Jinyoung’s shirt and Jinyoung hyung, please put down the wand. You really don’t want to get any blood on your hands at this point in time. It won’t do anyone good so can we all calm down and talk this through?” Jackson pleads as he looks on helplessly at Jaebeom and Jinyoung.

The Crown Prince has the wizard pinned to the wall of his study, right fist tightly gripping the front of Jinyoung’s neatly ironed collar with his left curled around Jinyoung’s wrist. His larger, heavier built easily keeps Jinyoung steadily trapped in position, but Jinyoung isn’t exactly vulnerable, either. 

The wizard has his free hand aiming his wand directly at Jaebeom’s eyes, right in the centre. Jaebeom stares at him from the tip of it, eyes nearly going cross-eyed if it weren’t for his withering glare. Jinyoung fixes him back with an equally murderous one, and Jackson sighs for what feels like the hundredth time that hour. 

It's barely been three hours since they've started the lesson and all they've been doing is going through the map of the kingdom and Paean's brief history. Jackson has had to witness the amazingly childish jabs the two ( grown, supposedly mature ) men take at each other every chance they get, along with the glares and eye-rolls and scoffs. 

_ This feels like some sort of horrible soap opera and I’m the unlucky third-wheeler that has to witness the two main characters in denial. Yay, lucky me,  _ Jackson internally deadpans as he takes a step forward and attempts at breaking them apart again.

He grips the material of Jaebeom’s jacket and tugs, though he’s careful not to tear the expensive cloth. “Come on, Jaebeom hyung. You’re more mature than this, aren’t you? Just let go of Jinyoung and we can all sit down, have a cup of tea, and talk this out!” 

Jaebeom growls, turning to him with his hand still gripped Jinyoung’s shirt. “I will  _ not  _ reason with this- this  _ scumbag _ ,” Jinyoung scoffs, “until he learns to respect other people,” 

“ _ Me? Respect people?  _ You’re the one who pinned me to this wall over some stupid, insignificant comment I made about your kingdom’s history. And correct me if I’m wrong, but crown princes don’t usually threaten to kill their spouses on the second day, do they? Isn’t  _ this, _ ” Jinyoung gestures to Jaebeom’s fist in his shirt and himself being backed against the wall by force, “a little more disrespectful?”

Jaebeom’s eyes flash with anger, the flames in his chest being fueled on even more by each little smug look on Jinyoung’s stupidly handsome face. “Are you listening to him, Jackson? How do you expect me to live with someone so unbearable and opinionated? He doesn’t even want to  _ try  _ and be nice,” 

Jackson groans, already getting sick of it. It’s been going on like this for hours - constant fighting and useless snapping at each other just to see who makes who more pissed off. It had been amusing to witness his usually cool and chic best friend react so violently and strongly to whatever offensive thing the other man threw at him.

_ I never knew Jaebeom hyung could be so... difficult when it comes to dealing with. Who knew Park Jinyoung would be the one to reveal this side to our dear Crown Prince? I’ve always known of his bad temper and certain asshole tendencies but this really takes it to a whole new level,  _ Jackson thinks in amazement as he watches Jinyoung struggle and twist his wrists in another failed attempt to escape Jaebeom’s clutches. 

“I’ve tried to be nice on the first day I met you and you naturally assumed I was a gold digger just because I was making conversation with your cousin, who happened to be the only decent noble who came to save me from an awkward encounter with two ladies that wanted to dance.” The information must be new to Jaebeom as well, judging by the way his lips part slightly.

“Since being nice to you  _ clearly  _ didn’t work out when you tried to pick a fight with me to satisfy your need to be an overprotective prick, isn’t it only natural that I’m hostile in return?” Jinyoung spits back at Jaebeom. 

Jackson clamps his mouth shut, feeling the heat of the insult all the way from where he was standing.  _ Park Jinyoung really knows how to push all of Jaebeom hyung’s buttons at once,  _ he thinks, a little impressed. 

The royal couple has entered yet another one of their death glare matches and Jaebeom is positively fuming by now, so much so that his knuckles have turned paper white with how tight he's gripping Jinyoung's collar. Jinyoung doesn't seem to be faring any better than him; his neck starting to turn an angry red and his jaw set tensely. 

Jackson sees Jaebeom’s free hand twitch and decides this has gone on long enough. He steps forward and pries Jaebeom’s fingers off Jinyoung’s shirt, though Jaebeom protests loudly in betrayal and it takes more force than he’d like to use. He ignores him for now, focusing on getting Jinyoung to put his wand away. 

“Jackson, how could you-”

“Jaebeom hyung,  _ please.  _ I can’t, and neither can any of you, afford to have  _ anything  _ happen to each other. If Jinyoung dies at your hands, the chances of you becoming King any time soon would be reduced to nearly nothing, if not zero,” Jackson says to Jaebeom, eyes pleading for him to understand.

“And if anything happens to the Crown Prince of Paean, you should know what would happen to your life, Jinyoung. The law wouldn’t care if you’re his fiance or not. As his best friend and ambassador of Paean, I’m heavily inclined to make sure he stays safe no matter what,”

Jinyoung sighs, putting his wand back in the pocket of his coat and folding his arms over his chest right after. “Isn’t that just fucking  _ fair _ ? He gets to have the whole castle protecting him and gets away with it because he’s the damned prince and I get what? Jailed if any of you decide to consider this treason? Or do I get executed for pissing off the precious Crown Prince? I guess this is how an outsider gets treated, huh,” 

Jackson sucks in a deep breath, feeling at a loss. He had expected Jinyoung to be angry for some petty reason, not because he actually felt like he was at a disadvantage here. Thinking about it, it probably seemed pretty unfair to Jinyoung since he was the only outsider here and he was kinda being used to ensure Jaebeom’s stature as the future King of Paean. 

It made Jackson feel bad for Jinyoung for once and suddenly, the anger the wizard had been feeling didn’t feel so illogical anymore. He casts a glance back at Jaebeom, who doesn’t seem to notice any of this and is still sending daggers at Jinyoung with his icy stare. 

“Park Jinyoung, you better watch that mouth of yours and the words you throw around. You’re lucky I haven’t gotten you actually thrown in jail by now for all this disrespect and slandering you’ve been doing,” Jaebeom shoots back. 

Jackson raises a hand and presses it against Jaebeom’s chest firmly, preventing him from trying to attack Jinyoung again. “Jaebeom hyung, maybe if we considered-”

"Fine! Throw me in jail, then. I wonder how the kingdom would react to their future king sending their supposed lover," Jinyoung momentarily falters over the syllables as the word escapes his own mouth as if associating that word to Jaebeom pains him, "to jail. Would they still call you their King, then?" 

Jackson opens his mouth to say something before Jaebeom can, but Jinyoung beats him to it again. “To think I agreed to your stupid terms because I believed you could have been a good king for Paean,” he mutters under his breath, looking away like he can’t bear to look at them anymore. Jackson feels inexplicably guilty. 

Jinyoung doesn’t give any of them a chance to say anything else. He turns on his heel and speedwalks out of Jaebeom’s study, turning out of the main entrance of the library and disappearing down the hallway. They watch him go, the tension in Jackson’s arm unwilling to loosen until he’s sure Jinyoung is nowhere in sight.

“Seriously, Jaebeom hyung? Did you have to pin him against the wall like that and throw all those insults his way?” Jackson chides, walking to slam the door to Jaebeom’s study shut. They don’t need anyone knowing about this, not when both Jaebeom’s and Jinyoung’s reputations are on the line.

“You’re really gonna pin all the blame on me, then? Is  _ everyone  _ in this castle seriously going to blindly side Park Jinyoung and treat him like some precious jewel that can’t be scratched? You guys don’t even  _ know  _ him - no one does,” Jaebeom states, voice hard and strained. Jackson knows he’s trying not to yell by how tight the knot at his jaw is.

“I get that you don’t trust him and frankly, I don’t either. But isn’t that the whole thing about meeting someone new? You have to give them a chance to prove how trustworthy they are before you can form a genuine connection with them. You guys won’t be forming  _ anything  _ except holes in the walls if this whole ‘pinning to the wall’ thing keeps up,”

“And you have to understand that as much as you’re struggling to trust and welcome Jinyoung into your life, he’s finding it difficult, too. Hyung, you need to remember that he’s the only outsider in this huge castle and everything is probably a little scary and confusing for him, too.” Jackson pats Jaebeom on the shoulder softly, silently telling Jaebeom that he hopes he understands. 

“Yeah but it still doesn’t mean he can insult the throne and threaten me like that. Isn’t he being just as bad as me?” Jaebeom speaks up, defiant like an adolescent. Jackson can’t resist any longer and slaps him on the shoulder, light enough so that Jaebeom knows he isn’t really  _ mad  _ but hard enough so that Jaebeom knows he means it. 

“Okay, I love you as a best friend and loyal citizen but would you  _ please  _ not be stubborn just this once and just admit that you’re at fault, too? I’m not discrediting Jinyoung in any way. All I’m saying that he has his side of the story and that we should listen to it, too,”

"I know it's an insane, unheard of idea that you may be wrong," Jaebeom snorts and Jackson breaks into a small smile, "but I'm telling you that as your best friend you are and you should probably do something about it. Jinyoung is having as hard or an even harder time than you are, so be  _ nice,  _ okay, Jaebeom hyung?” 

Jaebeom sighs, running his fingers through his unstyled hair and messing it up even more. He looks up at Jackson, who nods meaningfully at him. “Do I really have to talk to him about this? I really would love for it to blow over on its own,” Jaebeom says. 

Jackson shakes his head, placing both of his hands on Jaebeom’s shoulders. “You can’t run away from this,” Each word is enunciated with a firm shake of his shoulders. “I’m not letting you,” 

“At least give me some time to cool off and think? Besides, I don’t think he’ll want to listen to me at all for at least today,” Jaebeom points out. Jackson hums in thought, finger tapping his chin.

_ It would make sense to let them both cool down a little. Plus, I’ll have time to ask one of the younger ones to go talk some sense into Jinyoung, too,  _ Jackson thinks. He’s secretly a little proud of himself for bringing some peace to the table and managing to convince Jaebeom to talk it out. 

“Alright, I’ll give you three days maximum to talk to him. If not, you can’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands when three days are up, deal?” Jackson asks, extending his hand for Jaebeom to shake. The Crown Prince grunts and shakes it begrudgingly, mouth twisted into a half-scowl-half-pout that makes Jackson laugh.

“Come on you big baby, it’s not  _ that _ bad. Take it as the first step in the right direction for your blossoming relationship with someone new. Besides, I’m sure Jinyoung won’t be mad forever. He might seem as stubborn as you but I’m sure he’s a sensible man so don’t worry too much about it,” Jackson says as he wraps an arm around Jaebeom’s own.

“And if he isn’t? If he’s actually a really unreasonable man that refuses to accept my apology or whatever it is and things end up becoming worse than it already is? What will you do, then?” Jaebeom asks as they begin to walk out of his study. 

Jackson barks out another high pitched giggle, his head leaning into Jaebeom’s shoulder. “I highly doubt things can get worse than it already is but if it does, I’ll step in,” Jackson says confidently as he pats his own chest and puffs it out slightly. 

Jaebeom grins almost immediately, his mood lifted by his best friend’s bubbliness and natural charm. Jackson smiles back, wrapping his arm tighter around Jaebeom’s as they walk out of the library and to wherever their feet lead them. 

“Trust me, things will get better,”

 

* * *

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In Jinyoung’s bedroom_ **

 

“I’ll shatter him like fucking  _ glass _ ,” Jinyoung threatens under his breath as he massages his sore wrist. Cold water beats against his back unrelentingly and he lets it; the coolness does nothing to quell the flame that had sparked in his chest. 

“Trust a  _ Prince  _ to turn physical in an argument and then do this to his subject. Isn’t that lovely?” Jinyoung laughs darkly as he rubs the purple that has already started to bloom on the tender skin at his wrist, the colour contrasting with his slightly yellowish tone. He’ll have to wear long sleeves from now on.

_ Or maybe I’ll go out and display this so the whole kingdom knows what kind of a sadist their future king is,  _ he thinks evilly.  _ Wouldn’t that be a good enough revenge?  _

_ No, it won’t because you don’t want that. You do  _ actually  _ believe that Im Jaebeom can be a good king for Paean and you’ve admitted it to him, too. Don’t do something you don’t mean just to spite someone else. That’s truly being childish,  _ a voice in his head tells him. He can picture Taecyeon saying that, with his chiding smile and wise eyes. 

“Then what should I do? I’m the idiot who stormed out like some dramatic spoiled brat who didn’t get their way, it’ll be embarrassing if I approach Im Jaebeom first,” Jinyoung mutters to himself as he shuts off the water and grabs the nearest towel off the rack. He pats himself dry quickly and wraps the towel around his waist, resting his hands on them once he’s done.

He’s pretty sure there won’t be anyone calling on him for the rest of the day, considering that Jaebeom is usually the only one who does so and there’s no chance of  _ that  _ happening. Unless Im Jaebeom suddenly became some benevolent humanitarian that sought to bring peace to all of Paean, Jinyoung is  _ pretty sure  _ they won’t be making up any time soon. 

“I’ve already ruined a part of my reputation, my pride can’t afford another hit,” Jinyoung speaks to himself as he looks at his reflection in the mirror. The fine, short hairs on his chin are slowly starting to show up in the form of small black dots on his skin and he subconsciously reaches to touch at it, the prickly feeling sending tingles down his fingertips.

_ But is your pride really worth making an enemy out of your fiance? I get that you hate him because of the horrible misunderstanding and assumption he made of you, but he  _ is  _ your soon-to-be after all. It only makes sense for the two of you to put aside your differences and solve this conflict before anyone suspects something is up.  _

_ It’s gonna be difficult to swallow your pride and put down your ego but the engagement has already been announced. There’s no going back now, Park Jinyoung. Isn’t this what you signed up for when you said you’d ‘try your best’ to the King himself? _

Jinyoung groans gutturally, throwing his head backwards in frustration. He really should have thought things through better at that point in time. "Well, what the hell am I supposed to say? ‘I'm sorry for acting like such a douchebag and basically insulting the Royal Family but I think we should both put that behind us and focus on getting what we want'?"

_ I might as well just slap him across the face and apologise for it at this rate. Maybe that will seem like a more sincere apology than this one,  _ Jinyoung miserably thinks. 

_ I don’t even know what the hell might happen if I apologise. It’s not as if things can just be fixed after a quick sorry, can they?I’ll still end up fucking up and then he’ll get mad again and then I’ll get mad in response and this cycle will just keep going because I can’t seem to get anything right,  _ He thinks as he tousles his wet strands of hair. Water droplets shake out of them and land all over the mirror, blurring up his reflection. 

He reaches forward and slowly wipes the glass clean, sighing heavily with his shoulders sagging. He lets his fingers slide off the glass smoothly and fall onto the marble top of the sink, a little defeated. The bathroom looks awfully empty and lonely now that he isn’t talking to himself anymore. 

_ This is a tad bit pathetic, don’t you think? Alone in such a big place, with no one to call my own. No one to confide in or seek advice from, no one to lean on or find peace in. Just me, myself and this miserable room with only a voice in my head to keep me company.  _ Jinyoung chuckles again - a hollow, heavy sound that dies in his throat like a bitter afterthought. 

He sucks his bottom lip in and bites it harshly, feeling his nose prick with the ache that only tears can bring. Without hesitation, he reaches for the tap and splashes cool water over his face, shutting his eyes and letting the water drip down his eyelashes and cheeks and onto his chest despite just having dried himself. 

He shuts his eyes and lets his thoughts engulf him for just a moment. He thinks of the woods - the sweet scent of morning dew and the harmonious chirping of the birds. He imagines the crunch of fallen leaves under his boots, the snapping of twigs and brush of leaves against his cheek. 

He thinks of the light, warm summer breeze and then the faint scent of cherry blossoms as he nears his tree - some small baby pink buds hidden among the mass of green while others stand out proudly in little spots. 

He thinks of home - his shelves of old, leather-bound books and browned, rolled up parchment with faded ink that lay atop them. The numerous bottles of ingredients stored safely away in his chest and the vials of potions that follow. 

Then Taecyeon, who’s always been there for Jinyoung ever since he could remember. He may have forgotten chunks of his childhood, but Taecyeon has always been a lucid part of the remaining memories. From a master to a friend to family, Jinyoung finds himself missing Taecyeon the most. 

He thinks of Taecyeon’s letter, his curly handwriting on a scrapped piece of paper that was hurriedly stuffed into a page of his personal spell book, the words seared into Jinyoung's memory from re-reading it over and over. The precious item had been delivered to him that morning, along with his wand. 

 

*

 

**Jinyoung**

 

**It turns out I’ll be moving to the castle with you as some sort of Royal Wizard? Isn’t that crazy? I’m glad I’ll get to see you and your new fiancé hehe**

 

**In the meantime, don’t worry too much, okay? You’ll be fine, Jinyoung-ah. Just try to be friendly and get to know that people there before so you can introduce me when hyung arrives ;)**

 

**Home feels a little empty without you and your nagging**

 

**Taecyeon**

 

*****

 

_ ‘Home feels a little empty without you’, huh. This place feels a little empty without you, too. I wonder when he’ll be coming here,  _ Jinyoung thinks to himself as he sighs, opening his eyes again. They’re slightly glazed over from the welled up tears and Jinyoung rubs at them harshly, digging the palm of his hand against his eyelids until white spots form in his vision.

“Damn, I really do miss home,” Jinyoung mumbles, resigned. He’s never actually been  _ lonely _ his whole life. Sure, he’s gone on solo trips to some neighbouring town or been home alone when Taecyeon had business outside for a few days but he’s never been  _ lonely.  _

Being alone is something that Jinyoung cherishes - he enjoys his private time when he can think to himself and do things at his own pace without having to cater to anyone’s needs. However, he’s always spent his time alone with the knowledge that Taecyeon was just a call away. Simply there as a constant in his life who would always be there.

After having that for a good half of your life, being somewhat trapped in a castle full of strangers with hardly a way to personally contact that constant factor can get a little too much, even for Jinyoung. 

It feels like things are going out of balance in his life and there’s seemingly nothing he can do about it but sit and go along with it. He can’t even count on his magic to help him this time because being  _ royal  _ is something totally out of his comfort zone and he’s confused and alone and  _ afraid. _

Perhaps, that is what scares him - change. It’s scary because there isn’t anything or anyone that Jinyoung can hold on to in this new world that he has to live in, this new life and role he has to take on, and Jinyoung feels like he might crash and burn. 

He can’t rely on Taecyeon that much anymore since both of them will have their own duties to fulfil in the near future. Heck, Jinyoung doesn’t even  _ know  _ when Taecyeon will be coming or if they’ll even be living anywhere near each other. For all he knows, Taecyeon might be shipped off to a separate wing of the castle and they won’t have the chance to cross paths at all. 

Mark, Youngjae, Bambam and Yugyeom aren’t exactly options yet, either. They’re friends, sure, but it’s not as if Jinyoung can go bitching to them about their childhood friend and family, can he? They’re more likely to side with Jaebeom anyway, considering the fact that Jinyoung  _ is  _ an outsider. 

The title of ‘ _ outsider _ ’ stings more than it should. It’s a pitiful self-label but neither Jackson nor Im Jaebeom had disagreed with him so he takes it as they agree with him that he doesn’t belong here no matter how hospitable people are being. 

He’ll never be as sophisticated or princely as Yugyeom, Mark or Jaebeom are and  _ definitely  _ not as much of a ruler as the Queen ( in this case, that’ll be his role since he is Jaebeom’s spouse, after all ) is so how can he be expected to become the King along with Jaebeom?

Just three days ago, he was happily fixing up a potion for a customer and going about his own business in his home, completely blissful despite not having any of the riches this new life has promised. 

Just three days ago, he had been sipping on homemade honey water and chewing on homegrown blueberries that Taecyeon liked to grow, living a royal-free life and not having a care in the world about nobles and whatnot. 

Just three days ago, he had been so excited to visit the castle the very next day for the ball and to showcase the performance that he and Taecyeon had spent a month preparing. All the excitement and waiting and anticipation to be in the castle and now, all he wanted was to get out. 

Things have changed so instantaneously and without warning that Jinyoung feels like he’s been handed a new set of questions to answers that he doesn’t have. It feels as if he’s studied for a certain subject but all of a sudden, he’s being tested on a totally different aspect of the topic and he can’t seem to grasp a single thing.

Everything feels like they’re slipping out of his hands and Jinyoung is desperately trying to hold on to it all. He doesn’t want to lose his place on his path but the whole universe seems to be hellbent on pushing and pulling him onto another road that is uncharted and it…

It scares him  _ to death  _ that he doesn’t know what his future has become anymore. 

He hadn't expected to be marrying anyone any time soon, nor had he expected to become the King of a place that isn't even his home, to begin with. He hadn't thought that he would  have dinner with three princes and the King and Queen, nor had expected he would be spending the past two days bickering with the  _ Crown Prince of Paean _ over stupid snide comments.

Hell, he didn’t even  _ want  _ to pick a fight with Jaebeom. All he ever did was attempt to make friends with Mark ( though admittedly, he did have the initial thought of doing something more but never again ) and he gets labelled a gold digger for no apparent reason. Of course, he wasn’t going to stand there like a fool and be insulted like that. 

In the end, he supposes being hostile is the easiest way to deal with Jaebeom and the situation at hand. He doesn’t know how to fit in in a place like this - everyone is expecting him to be this prim and proper, well-mannered  _ bride  _ of a man he doesn’t even know. 

Jinyoung isn’t the kind of person to sit still and look pretty just for the sake of someone else’s reputation, he’s the kind to voice out his own opinions and let his feelings be known when something isn’t right. He simply can’t see himself as what the public thinks of him to be.

Desperately, he wants to run away and hide from the people here and his newfound responsibilities but he knows that if he does, not only will his life be at stake, so will Jaebeom’s future. As much as they go at each other’s throats, Jinyoung  _ does  _ still think that Jaebeom would be a good leader of Paean and he wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt of ruining someone else’s life forever.

_ Would things ever go back to normal? I know we said we’d think of a plan to get us both out of this, but how sure is he that it’ll work? At what expense will we finally get what we both want without jeopardising our future and what we’ve worked so hard for our whole lives? Im Jaebeom has to be King and I have to be a wizard but it sure as hell doesn’t feel like that will work out at the rate this is going. _

Things are changing, his whole  _ life  _ is, and Jinyoung is afraid that he’ll lose sight of everything that truly matters to him if he doesn’t move along fast enough to keep up. 

 

 

* * *

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s bedroom_ **

 

Jaebeom can’t sleep.

He’s been tossing and turning for god knows how long, his body refusing to let him find peace and rest. The covers feel too thick and his shirt feels too sticky to his back; his sheets feel too messed up and layered and it feels as if something is constantly digging into his back. 

Jaebeom is no stranger to long, restless nights but this time, it’s different. Usually, he’ll find some peace after a good half an hour or so of reading or penning down his thoughts of the day in the darkness of his bedroom, his quill only guided by the moonlight that streams in through the windows. Usually, his gut wouldn’t be twisting in his stomach and forming a tight knot that he can’t undo. 

Usually, his mind wouldn’t be filled with thoughts of apologies and Jinyoung. 

He can’t get him off his mind. It’s not in the cheesy, romantic sense where they’re two lovers who can’t bear to be apart because of a petty fight but in the sense where they have to figure this out before both of their futures are compromised. 

_ How do I apologise to someone who seems to hate me? I can’t just bring him a gift or whatever and say sorry just for the sake of it,  _ Jaebeom thinks. 

He can’t say that he  _ knows  _ Jinyoung, but he knows enough to deduce that Jinyoung isn’t the kind of person to take these things lightly. He can tell that Jinyoung meant what he had said in his study earlier. Jaebeom hates to admit it but he actually thinks Park Jinyoung might be right this time.

Jaebeom hadn’t been the most welcoming when they had first met at the ball, he’ll admit that. He had taken one glance at Jinyoung and immediately made assumptions about the younger man based purely on past experiences with other nobles. Thinking back, it was probably not the wisest choice to pick a fight and leave a bad impression. 

Of course, the bad impression wouldn’t really have mattered much if Yugyeom and Mark hadn’t sabotaged the two of them like that. The insistence and innocent delight of his parents had only served to sour his mood even further, resulting in a bad memory of the day he met Park Jinyoung.

He would be lying if his foul mood at the start wasn't due to the fact that he had been forced into the whole arrangement by his father, which was something that Jinyoung had no part in whatsoever, so it was pretty unjust of him to blow off steam by attacking Jinyoung. It sucked, even more, when Jinyoung had admitted that he had genuinely attempted to be nice at the start. 

Though, that wasn’t what made Jaebeom  _ truly  _ feel like a horrible human being that might deserve to rot for a day in hell. Jinyoung had said, and Jaebeom had very explicitly heard, that he believed in Jaebeom. 

Despite all the shit that Jaebeom has put him through for the past few days and the horrible things that Jaebeom has made Jinyoung do, Jinyoung still believes that Jaebeom could be a good king. That’s saying  _ a lot  _ for a stranger. 

Some people have known Jaebeom for half their lives and watched him grow to one day be ready to take on this role - officials, advisers and whatnot and even some of them don’t believe he’s ready for the throne yet. But Jinyoung? He’s known Jaebeom  _ three days  _ and he’s already getting into this marriage for the sake of securing Jaebeom’s seat on the throne. 

Jaebeom feels like an absolute  _ dick  _ for being so hostile. 

Jinyoung had no business being dragged into this whole arrangement, nor had he asked to be pledged to this new lifestyle that he has to live out. Jaebeom remembers feeling bad for Jinyoung before but he supposes that somewhere along the way, he had forgotten how much this would affect Jinyoung as well.

If he actually put some thought into it, being in Jinyoung’s position would be something he’d loathe. He would be asked to basically sign his life away to be used as a stranger’s spouse only in name just so that certain stranger would be able to get what he wanted. He wouldn’t have any clue about the new life he’s now supposed to lead or how his future might possibly play out to be.

“No wonder he seems to hate it damn much. It sounds horrible now that I think about it. Supposing how he is, being used definitely wouldn’t sit well with him. Hell, it wouldn’t sit well with anyone in the right frame of mind,” Jaebeom whispers to himself as he turns to face the open window. 

The moon is high in the sky tonight, its natural light streaming in through Jaebeom’s translucent curtains and casting shadows on his pillow and silky, black sheets. A soft, summer breeze blows in and parts in his curtains just the slightest; the cool wind feels like a caress on his warm cheek that makes him sigh tiredly. 

_ I wonder if he’s still awake,  _ Jaebeom vaguely wonders. It’s a good hour or so past midnight by now, judging by how quiet the castle has gone. The lights in the hallways are shut off and no servants are walking around doing their final round of cleaning up anymore, plunging the castle into complete darkness and peace. 

“I won’t ever fall asleep like this,” Jaebeom mumbles. He throws off his covers and doesn’t bother with his slippers, simply letting his feet land on the cold marble. He doesn’t know where he’s going to go but he knows that he can’t stay in bed any longer.

The guilt of using Jinyoung and completely neglecting his feelings, the knowledge that he’s possibly disappointed Jinyoung - it bugs him more than he’d like it to. He doesn’t even know why this Park Jinyoung matters to him, but his heart doesn’t seem to like the idea of hurting Jinyoung.

Jinyoung is still a stranger to him and he can't seem to read the younger at all. One minute he can be all fiery anger and sharp-tongued but the next minute, he can be all buttery warmth and rosy cheeks with Youngjae, Yugyeom and Bambam. 

_ Then again, all I’ve been is cold and harsh with him so that’s probably the reason,  _ Jaebeom thinks a little sulkily. He's walking blindly in the hallways, only having his senses and the occasional moonlight to guide him along. He doesn't have a place he wants to specifically go to but the direction that his feet are taking him in seems familiar. 

He keeps moving, hands reaching out for the walls to avoid bumping into any furniture and stubbing his toe like an idiot. He knows where he’s headed to now, the path something that he can memorise like the back of his hand. When he reaches the door, he grips the handle and lowers it as softly as he can, the metal clicking and opening for him easily. 

The room is always as quiet as ever. Nothing has changed since the last time he’s been here, which was probably a few weeks back when he was feeling troubled again. He always seems to be gravitated back here, back to the familiar scent of old books and dusty shelves along with the brown, faded wallpaper where the printed peonies are barely visible anymore.

“ _ Eomma, _ it’s me again,” Jaebeom mumbles out softly, his heart clenching as he touches the old wooden chair at the desk. The books stacked up at the side haven’t been touched in years and dust forms a thick layer on the top cover. Jaebeom usually hates dirty places but this place doesn’t make him feel uncomfortable at all. 

"I've been…having some trouble. There's someone that I have to marry now but we don't see eye to eye. I think I might've really hurt his feelings in some way but I don't know how to apologise for it," Jaebeom confesses, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. He takes a seat on the old bed, the sheets being the only thing that has changed in recent weeks. 

Jaebeom had been the one to change it on his own since everything else in the room was ordered to be untouched by his father. 

“Jinyoung is someone I don’t trust yet. Jackson thinks I should give him a chance and get to know him better but I’m... _ afraid _ that- that it might be too late for us,” Jaebeom admits to the empty room. The weight of the confession settles heavily in his chest and he frowns deeply, disliking the feeling of resignment. 

“I know I can be difficult and hot-tempered at times and usually, it doesn’t affect me much but I feel exceptionally guilty when it comes to Jinyoung and I don’t know  _ why _ ,” 

Of course, no one responds to him. It’s an empty room that hasn’t been occupied for years since his mother passed on save for the occasional dusting here and there. Despite that, Jaebeom loves coming here. 

He doesn’t mind the fact that he’s talking to an empty space or the fact that it’s lowkey creepy he’s in a dead person’s room. Jaebeom hadn’t known his biological mother for a long time before her passing but when he’s here, in the place where she spent her last few months, he can feel her comforting presence like a warm blanket that cocoons him. 

When he had first stumbled into this place on another one of his midnight walks, he remembers wondering how things would have been if his mother were still alive now. 

He wonders if he would have been close to her like he’s close to Yugyeom’s mother - if they would have deep conversations about their worries and problems, idle chats in the gardens about the blooming flowers or recent happenings in the kingdom. 

He wonders if his mother would be proud of who is today and what he’s done so far with his life. Deep down, he also wonders if his mother will approve of Jinyoung and encourage them regardless of all the arguments and tension they’ve had so far. 

It's hard to say that he loves her since he's never actually known her but it's also hard to say that she doesn't hold a place in his heart. All the things he knows about her are mostly stories told by his father and those who knew Jaebeom's mother, most of which describe her to be a loving, big-hearted woman with a righteous nature. 

“I would be nice if you were still here to provide some insight,  _ eomma _ ," He mumbles, looking out the window and into the night sky above. The stars twinkle dimly in spaced-out specks, barely bright enough for his eye to catch. He can almost picture his mother's warm smile as she looks down on him from above, much like when he was merely a baby who needed to be watched over constantly. 

Jaebeom doesn't really believe in things like the afterlife or reincarnation but he'd like to believe that somewhere up there, his mother is still watching over her son and protecting him after all these years. He'd like to believe that stumbling upon this room wasn't just mere coincidence but destiny and that he was meant to keep coming back.

Then again, he guesses all things  _ do  _ happen for a reason. Meeting Youngjae, Bambam and Yugyeom, for example. Jackson even, who had become his dearest ambassador and confidante. These people had become family and changed him in so many ways; he supposes he owes who he is today to them all. 

In that same sense, meeting Jinyoung was probably a work of fate as well, now that Jaebeom thought about it. Out of the thousands of people in the kingdom, out of the hundreds in the ball that night, Jinyoung just  _ had  _ to be the one to talk to Mark and just  _ had  _ to be the one that was introduced to Jaebeom.

Up until this day, he’s been blaming karma and bad luck for this unfortunate agreement of having to choose a spouse out of a sea of strangers. Since fate had been the one to place the game-changer that is Jinyoung in his path to becoming King, he wonders if everything will change for the better or worse. 


	5. rosa rubiginosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi im sorry i love yall

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In The Wizard’s Tower_ **

 

Taecyeon loves this place already. It’s barely been two hours since he’s settled down in this tower ( God knows why they have a whole spare tower for him when the Kingdom has never had a wizard of any sort. ) but he thinks it’s already grown on him quite a bit. 

It’s generous with its high ceilings and open rooms, not to mention the whole four levels Taecyeon has to himself for his bedroom, kitchen, study and the topmost level for his cauldron and whatnot. He has to admit - this kind of treatment feels good once in a while. 

It’s a few minutes walk from the main part of the castle where he has no doubt Jinyoung is, but he figures he should probably pop by later on and surprise his dear apprentice during dinner. The King had invited him for a welcome feast and who is Taecyeon to refuse fine dining?

He’s been spending the whole time since he arrived unpacking, letting the time pass and the morning bleed into the late afternoon as he spends time getting used to this new environment. He’s travelled to plenty of places before and visited a fair amount of towers and castles but so far, Paean stands to be the most beautiful of them all.

With its ornate rooms and hallways, polished marble floors and grand carpeted stairs leading to the various levels, it’s no surprise that Paean is a kingdom many people from all the different parts of the land acclaim. 

However, Taecyeon much prefers Paean for its natural beauty. The lush greenery and cultivated fields, the diverse flora and fauna and high mountain ranges all free to explore; Taecyeon’s magic feels like it’s at its best ever since they arrived at Paean. He might just be imagining it, but being in the heart of the kingdom fuels the magic flowing through his veins and ruins even more. 

_ I wonder if Jinyoung felt this. I should probably bring him to the gardens later to let his ruins breathe a little. Being holed up in the castle for too long can be bad for him, especially since his magic isn’t fully awakened at his stage,  _ Taecyeon thinks as he props himself up on the window sill where it’s purely stone and nothing else to stop him from falling.

Another feature of his tower that Taecyeon decides is a plus point is a view he gets of Paean's beauty. The castle is situated right by the harbour so he has the perfect view of the sun starting to set on the horizon, the hazy late-day golden hues mixing with the shallow turquoise of the sea and the sky shifting to a dreamy amber-pink. Taecyeon adores the sunset, especially because it means the night time is coming soon and that's the time when his ruins recharge at their fastest. 

A loud bellow from below shakes him out of his blissful thoughts and he startles, nearly tipping off the edge of the sill and down four levels to his death. He huffs shortly, hopping off and quickly clambering down the steps to see who it is. 

A young man greets him once he opens the door, much to his gratefulness. He'd much rather someone who doesn't look like he hates being there, unlike the messenger from yesterday. 

“Good evening, Taecyeon-ssi. I’m Choi Youngjae, one of the Crown Prince’s main servants. Dinner is starting soon so you should make your way to the Royal Dining Room. The King and Queen will be there as well, along with the princes, to welcome you to Paean,” 

“Of course. I’ll make my way over on my own, just after I grab a few things. Thank you, Youngjae-ssi,” Taecyeon says, beaming. The young man, his hair long and brown and flopping over his eyebrows, nods and turns on his heel, leaving Taecyeon on his own.

He hurriedly goes up to the third floor where his study is, taking two steps at a time. Thank God it’s only a few steps and not those dreaded spiralling staircases that never seem to end. His eyes dart around the room, squinting against the dim yellow lighting and looking for that one item he needs. 

His belongings are in kind of a mess even after he’s attempted to stuff all his notebooks and spellbooks in the huge bookshelf provided, some of the leftovers stacked up on the floor and large oak table that’s supposed to be his writing desk. What he’s looking for, however, isn’t a spellbook this time. 

He finds it sitting snugly in one of the drawers of the table, the fragile glass bottle wrapped tightly in a black silk cloth to prevent it from breaking. He opens it and takes a short whiff, the smell of cherry blossoms that Jinyoung loves so much hitting his nose strongly. He knows how much it’ll mean to Jinyoung to finally have something from home with him, as much as the younger tries to show that he’s doing fine on his own. Taecyeon stuffs the bottle deep into his pocket before going down again, finally making his way to the castle.

 

* * *

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Dining Room_ **

 

“Yah, Park Jinyoung, what is this behaviour? I raised you better than to be late for a royal dinner.” Jinyoung’s head shoots up the second he hears those words, abandoning the sentence about to fall from his lips and the conversation with Bambam. His eyes immediately meet the fond ones of Taecyeon and he breaks into the widest grin since he’s been in the castle.

“Taecyeon hyung!” Jinyoung calls, taking long, quick strides over to wrap his arms around Taecyeon’s shoulders. Taecyeon hugs him back firmly, his familiar musky cologne filling up Jinyoung’s nostrils as they both sigh. It feels good, like a piece of his heart had just returned to him and he’s just that little bit more complete.

“It’s good to see you again, kid. How’s living in the castle been? I hope you haven’t been slacking off on all of your wizarding duties and letting your runes breath,” Taecyeon says, his fingers teasingly poking Jinyoung’s covered forearms. Jinyoung quickly shushes him. 

It’s no secret to the royal family that he’s a wizard, nor is it something he’s ashamed of. However, Jinyoung knows how differently, mostly in the negative light, some people can take the fact that a wizard is living in their midst and he’d like to live in the castle without any prejudice against him for his magic. 

Neither of them is a stranger to the malicious opinions and misconceptions people have about wizards and have personally experienced some of them in their lives. It's understandable to Taecyeon that Jinyoung has his own worries and wants to take precautions, so he nods and lets the topic slide quickly as it came.

Jinyoung clears his throat, thankful that only he and Taecyeon are left in the dining room. Bambam had probably scurried off to the kitchen to help out and the privacy makes Jinyoung relax enough to smile. 

“How long have you been here? You could’ve sent someone to get me when you arrived, I would have loved to show you around,” Jinyoung says. 

“Have you yourself even ventured around the whole castle? This place is  _ huge  _ and I imagine you’re still busy getting to know your  _ lover _ .” Taecyeon drops his voice to a whisper, trying his best to keep it racy and suggestive. He ultimately fails a good two seconds into the act and bursts out laughing right in Jinyoung’s face, clutching his stomach and nearly doubling over. 

Jinyoung scowls, rolling his eyes and lightly shoving Taecyeon on the shoulder. “Shut up. This is technically your fault, you know. If you hadn’t left me there helpless and alone during the ball to go flirt with some innocent ladies, I wouldn’t have had to fend for myself and end up talking to some nobles,” 

“And I assume it’s my fault that you couldn’t bring yourself to reject the King, too?” Taecyeon easily fires back although his words hold no anger or genuine accusation.

“Come on, hyung. It’s the  _ King _ , for God’s sake, how do you expect me to say no? His son may be a huge jerk with something constantly shoved up his ass that keeps him so stuck-up but it would kill me to reject someone from the royal family,” 

“Literally or figuratively?” 

“Both! I couldn’t do anything else in that position they put me in,” Jinyoung sighs, slowly getting frustrated as he thinks about that fateful night of the ball. “It  _ sucks  _ to know that I’m being reduced to some sort of  _ pawn _ in the King’s twisted game of chess to let his eldest son rule without any complications,”

“And I know it’s not your fault, nor is it really Mark hyung’s or Yugyeom’s or even Im Jaebeom’s but I really am at a loss, hyung,” Jinyoung rambles, the words all just flowing out of him as easy as water now that he finally has someone to confide in. 

Taecyeon tentatively rests a hand on his shoulder, his palm providing the comfort of unspoken words.

 “It’s been hard on you, hasn’t it?” Jinyoung nods, sucking in his bottom lip. Taecyeon sighs and ruffles his hair affectionately, shaking his head as if he doesn’t know what else to do, either. But Jinyoung knows that Taecyeon understands his emotions and he takes comfort in the brotherly love they share.

"After dinner, come outside with me. You need a break from all of this royalty drama going on," Taecyeon says with a note of finality, hand coming down to square Jinyoung's shoulders as a father does to his son. 

Jinyoung chuckles despite his sudden outburst, letting his shoulders sag to relax under Taecyeon’s hand. “Alright, I do need the air, anyway. Things have been a little too much for me recently,” Jinyoung says it right as the doors swing open, revealing the King and Queen who brighten at the sight of the two wizards.

Jinyoung, however, barely focuses on greeting them properly. His eyes are immediately attracted to the broad figure striding in behind them, his eyes steely and hard as always. It’s as if Jaebeom is a walking magnet and Jinyoung is a cheap piece of nickel, unable to do anything but feel a natural pull towards him. Jinyoung hates how Im Jaebeom never fails to draw his attention so easily.

Jaebeom looks at him the second he walks in and it's like time freezes at that moment - just the two of them staring at each other across the room. There's uncertainty that blooms in his own heart, along with the tell-tale sign of his gut twisting and settling into a cold hard knot that tightens with every second they stare at each other. Jinyoung  _ swears  _ Jaebeom’s eyes soften at the sides, even if it’s only a little. 

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Jinyoung nods, gulping as his eyes follow Jaebeom even as the older tears his gaze away and moves to sit at the table. He can feel Taecyeon grinning behind him.

“I think this might turn out to be a lot more fun than I imagined it would,” 

 

* * *

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Dining Room_ **

 

Knowing and admitting to himself that he messed up with Jinyoung and regretting it is one thing, but actually seeing him face to face and  _ feeling  _ the tension in the air is a whole new challenge that Jaebeom was not ready for.

He’s been to loads of awkward dinners - some of which were more disastrous than he’d like to remember - and he’s always somehow gotten through the night by faking generous praises and wide smiles, but this is Jinyoung. 

Jinyoung isn’t some gullible, simple-minded noble only fishing for praise and seeking a place to air their dirty laundry. Jinyoung is more than that and Jaebeom should know better by now than to take him and his feelings lightly. Hence, it makes things all the more difficult to deal with because for once, Jaebeom actually  _ wants  _ to set the score right and start on a fresh page.

Jinyoung has been skillfully ignoring and escaping any possible conversation with him the whole hour and a half they've been seated next to each other. Every time he turns to Jinyoung, the younger is always focused on either another conversation, getting some more food on his plate or having his body purposefully turned away from Jaebeom. It's as if the wizard is physically trying to run away from him and if Jaebeom were to be honest, it stings the slightest bit. 

Currently, Jinyoung is wrapped up in conversation with Jackson, the two somehow all fine and dandy despite Jackson being involved - no matter how minorly - in the big fight. 

_ Maybe he really can’t stand me and me only. Am I that problematic and difficult?  _ Jaebeom silently reflects, feeling guilty again. It wouldn’t be the first time Jinyoung has made him feel guilty, whether on purpose or not, yet Jaebeom is still having trouble accepting it. 

No one seems to notice his inner turmoil and he quietly sulks to himself as he chews harshly on his vegetables, cheeks filled and puffed up like a hamster. Jackson, Yugyeom and Jinyoung are in a wild debate about something Jaebeom gave up trying to understand a few minutes ago. Even his own parents are busy with their own conversation with Taecyeon, Jinyoung’s wizarding master. 

Speaking of which - Taecyeon. He’s never actually interacted with the man, only a simple greeting at the beginning of dinner before the two took their respective seats at the table only to never talk again. He wonders what kind of character he has to have raised Jinyoung to become who the young wizard is today, and perhaps some advice on how to fix things. 

The older wizard looks more amiable and  _ young  _ than Jaebeom had expected - a full head of healthy black hair, clean-cut features without a wrinkle in sight and a muscular build for someone who waves their wand around and mixes potions all day. If Jaebeom hadn’t known better, he would have thought he and Jinyoung were biological brothers merely a few years apart. 

He follows the conversation easily, a brilliant smile perpetually set on his face even as he provides his opinion in a respectable manner. Taecyeon strikes Jaebeom as more of a Jackson or a Bambam than a Jinyoung, which isn’t very surprising since Jinyoung has been getting on just fine with everyone.

Everyone  _ else,  _ anyway.

Back to the point of Taecyeon, Jaebeom hopes he’ll get the chance to start a conversation with the older man some time along the next few days, preferably before his ‘deadline’ for apologising is up and before Jackson steps in and possibly makes things more uncomfortable than they already are. 

He glances at Taecyeon, his eyes trailing down the gold necklace and imperial purple gemstone pendant to the black, velvety cloak he keeps secured tightly around his shoulders even at the dinner table. Jaebeom catches on to the way his fingers never seem to stop moving - the forefinger always moving and drawing messy circles on the dining table as if he were taking notes of whatever information he was getting from the conversation. 

_ Maybe that’s how wizards always know everything. He seems pretty smart and quick-witted, not to mention wise for someone of his age. I always assumed all wizards of the mastery level were at least seventy,  _ Jaebeom muses to himself as he watches Taecyeon and his father laugh heartily at some old man joke. 

Taecyeon glances at him at that moment and his eyes linger for just a second, enough for Jaebeom to feel a shock of electricity run through his veins and under his skin, sending goosebumps crawling down his arm. 

The moment passes instantaneously, leaving Jaebeom to swallow his food harshly, the chewed up vegetables entering his system in a discomforting manner. He reaches for his cup of tea and gulps the warm liquid down, the taste of cherries and ginseng thick on his tongue and he empties it in a matter of a few seconds. 

Taecyeon isn’t looking at him anymore, though he can sense the shadow of a smile meant just for him playing on the older man’s lips. Jaebeom’s grip on his utensils tighten by a fraction, shoulders subconsciously tensing up. He almost misses the way Jinyoung shoots him a quizzical glance that he catches from the corner of his eye, the slight shift in the younger’s position just so he can subtly check on Jaebeom. 

Jaebeom doesn’t hesitate. He turns in the blink of an eye, his head snapping to the side so fast that he feels a crick in his neck and Jinyoung visibly startles. It feels like it’s the first time Jaebeom has looked at the younger in days, almost refreshing yet ruined by the guilt that washes over him in waves as soon as they make eye contact. 

Jinyoung blinks once; Jaebeom sees his fingers close around his own spoon tightly to mirror Jaebeom's own hands and finds small comfort in knowing that they're both feeling the heavy tension in the air around them. 

They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, neither brave enough to take the first step and speak a word. Jaebeom is hyper-aware of how close their knees are to touching now that they’re almost directly facing each other, thin material of their matching black pants centimetres apart. 

_ Say something, coward! If not now, when?  _ The voice in his head yells at him, urges him to at least open his mouth and get the ball rolling. Jaebeom feels his lips part and Jinyoung visibly sucks in a short breath, Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulps nervously. 

“Jinyoung-ah,”  _ Too late.  _ “Are you done with your dinner?” 

Jinyoung blinks at him again, eyebrows pinching together and eyes pausing for half a second more before he tears his gaze away and looks at Taecyeon. Jaebeom feels disappointment rush into his chest and fills it up to the brim, making his shoulders sag even if it's just the slightest. 

"I am. Do you need anything?" Jinyoung asks, voice rich and smooth like raw honey. Any trace of whatever confusion or tension from earlier is gone from his face, leaving an unreadable expression in its wake. 

“Would it be alright if Jinyoung and I were excused? I would like some time to discuss some things with my apprentice to make up for the past few days,” Taecyeon courteously asks the King, who nods immediately. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” 

Taecyeon turns to Jinyoung, who nods and hurriedly stands and nearly topples over his chair in the process. Jaebeom reaches out and catches the back on reflex, steadying the piece of furniture before it hits the ground. Jinyoung awkwardly nods his thanks and Jaebeom swiftly removes his hand, folding it stiffly under the table as if it didn’t belong to him any longer. 

“We will be in the gardens if anyone needs us,” Taecyeon announces to the room although he looks straight at Jaebeom, his dark brown eyes staring right into his soul.  _ Fantastic.  _

Everyone watches the two wizards leave the room, Taecyeon’s booming voice easily heard as they retreat down the hallway and out to the gardens. It’s only when they’re a safe distance away does conversation resume again.

“Aren’t you going after them, hyung? That last bit was  _ clearly  _ meant for you,” Yugyeom says, emphasising his words as if Jaebeom were some idiot who couldn’t infer on his own. 

“I gathered, Yugyeommie,” Jaebeom deadpans, setting his chopsticks down a little too harshly and causing his mother to click her tongue at him.

“Did the two of you get into a fight? I told you to be patient and reign in your temper, Jaebeom-ah. Jinyoung is an affable man with good morals and a fine character, I don’t see why the two of you can’t seem to get along,” The Queen says.

Jackson snickers from opposite him, not bothering to hide his amusement. “If I may, this was more than just a simple fight, Your Majesty. They had each other pinned against the wall and ready to throw fists if they had to! I bet they would have if I hadn’t been there to stop them!” 

The Queen gasps and Jaebeom scowls, glaring at Jackson who simply shrugs and tilts his head innocently. “Jaebeom! You should never turn a fight physical, no matter how angry you are. My, what are we to do if both of you end up brawling in the middle of the castle and in front of all the servants one day? If word were to get out, both of you might be deemed unfit to rule!” 

“Mother, I assure you that it’s not that serious. It’s simply some…” Jaebeom waves a wand around as he tries to think of a fitting word that wouldn’t send his mother into a worrying fit. “...disagreements we’ve had over the past few days. It’s not a big deal, really,” 

Yugyeom sniggers, yet another one who seems to find amusement in Jaebeom’s suffering. “I doubt disagreements would cover it, Mother. They’ve been at each other’s throats for  _ days  _ now,” 

Jaebeom shoots his younger brother a withering glare, eyes narrowed and threatening even from across the table. Yugyeom gulps, visibly shrinking away. "Or so I've heard," he adds meekly as if it'll save him. 

“Disagreements or not, you should talk to him about whatever problems you have, Jaebeom,” The Queen chides lightly. 

“Your mother is right. An engaged couple shouldn’t be having any conflicts this close to the wedding date! It’s barely five months away so you need to be spending all the time getting to know each other, not getting at each other’s throats like immature teenagers.” His Father’s words are slightly harsher to his ears, but Jaebeom knows it’s only true and he  _ should know better _ by now. 

He sighs, loud and exaggerated enough so that everyone at the table goes quiet to listen to the depressing sound escape his lips. “I’ll try but I won’t be promising anything, Father. Jinyoung is difficult, to say the least,” 

His Father and Jackson click their tongues in unison, both wordlessly warning him to not make this any worse than it already is. 

“Alright, alright! I’ll apologise and fix it, no matter how  _ difficult  _ it may be,” Jaebeom says, holding his hands up in surrender. No one says anything, four pairs of eyes still fixed on him expectantly.

Jaebeom blinks, the realisation dawning on him. “You want me to go  _ now _ ? In the middle of dinner? While he’s strolling the gardens?” 

“Yes,  _ now _ . If not when? We haven’t got all year to wait for you two to ease the tension, hyung,” Jackson says frankly. If Jackson were not his best friend, he would have the younger punished for speaking out of place. 

Jaebeom bites back a groan, settling for huffing disgruntledly to let everyone at the table know his dissatisfaction. He pushes his chair back as he stands, jaw clenched and hands stuffed deep in the pocket of his coat. 

“I’m not happy about this,” he announces before he takes his leave, his petty side showing.

His Father smiles - a wide lipped, amused one that Jaebeom knows all too well. “We know, Jaebeommie. Now go and get your fiance back,”

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Castle Gardens_ **

 

Locating two men in the garden at night with only the aid of the moonlight to guide him proves to be a difficult task and one that Jaebeom would definitely  _ not  _ recommend to anyone who doesn't have good sensing of their surroundings. Or anyone at all, for that matter. 

He can barely see his own two hands in front of him, much less his black coloured boots or where he’s stepping. Under the hazy white light of the moon, everything seems blurred and monochromatic. His night vision, or lack thereof, isn’t helping much either. 

Throughout his whole half-blind journey through the gardens, Jaebeom has nearly tripped over his own two feet or some random protruding root or twig at least five times, one of which almost resulted in him plummeting to the ground face first. Thank the stars he had a reflex fast enough to grab onto the nearest object his hands could find to catch himself before any ugly accident could take place. 

Anyway, Jaebeom is grateful he’s finally found them. He had heard the telltale voice of Jinyoung, barely audible but distinct in the distance, enough for Jaebeom to follow the sound of. 

He had walked blindly, ears simply perking up for the sound of conversation until he had seen the two wizards - sitting cross-legged with their sleeves rolled up and mysterious glowing lines running down their forearms. 

Jaebeom had watched for a good five minutes, entranced. He hadn’t met many wizards in his life despite visiting so many kingdoms, only a few that he could count on one hand. 

He’s very well aware of the bad reputation that bearers of magic have in this generation, especially with the old skirmishes and battles between those with power running in their veins and those without. He had spent most of his adolescence holed up in the library, his nose buried deep in thick, dusty books filled with the long history of Paean and its neighbours. 

The books had been filled with past rivalries and bad blood running between magic users of any kind and the royal families, mostly due to the fear of being overthrown that resulted in needless attacks starting. The magic bearers, of course, had put up a fight and resulted in many non-users being killed in supernatural ways. 

There used to be towns,  _ kingdoms  _ even, of people with the power of magic at their disposal. Now, most of those places don’t even exist anymore. The lands were taken over by kingdoms after brutal attacks and bloodshed years ago, dating back to when Jaebeom was still a child all the way to his teenage years.

He remembers one of the last few attacks his father had waged on a small kingdom near the western borders, a kingdom  _ full  _ of magic users ranging from witches to common folk who embedded magic into their trade like metal smiths and physicians. 

He remembers seeing his father returning from the battle, victorious with his head held high as he claimed yet another land under Paean's name. At the time, it had seemed like it was right until refugees had begun arriving at the shores of kingdoms all over seeking food and shelter.

People had begun to see how horrid the consequences could be and so the rulers of the kingdoms had a treaty signed, resulting in the now peaceful and harmonious lives of both magicians and non-magicians. 

Despite the detailed history of friction with magic bearers, Jaebeom had always been drawn to their esoteric magical abilities. Even when Taecyeon and Jinyoung had been invited to perform at the night of his birthday ball, he had been completely spellbound by the colourful flourishes and beauty of magic at its finest. 

He had figured it would be hella creepy and  _ terribly bad  _ for his image if he had been caught staring at them do whatever it is ( Meditate? Pray? Do wizards do that? ) after those five minutes, so he had spent the next minute reprimanding himself for being so easily distracted. 

However, that doesn’t mean he had gone up to them and requested for a private chat with Jinyoung. God, no.

Being chased to apologise and given a deadline by Jackson is one thing, but being told to do so by his whole family and then getting chased out of the dining room to do so is another. 

All the words he had planned to say and rehearsed in his head numerous times before all seem to disappear now that he's so close to being able to say it. His mind is as blank as a sheet of parchment, short-circuiting and refusing to start up at this crucial moment. 

_ Come on, coward. He’s literally just  _ there!  _ Just step out from this stupid hiding spot behind this stupid tree and go!  _ The voice in his head yells at him, tugging at his heartstrings. Jaebeom feels his legs itch to move forward but his upper body refuses to budge, hands gripping firmly to the trunk of the tree like he might die if he lets go. 

_ Just- oh my God, MOVE!  _ The voice in his brain overpowers his self-control for a split second, sending his feet lurching forward as if someone has yanked his lower half with brute force. He lurches forward like a puppet being controlled by invisible strings, legs moving without his consent.

Jaebeom yelps as his right foot lands on a round, uneven thick root protruding out from the ground, the sharp sound cutting through the night. He’s definitely been noticed now. 

“What the- Im Jaebeom?” comes Jinyoung’s confused voice as he stands up from his comfortable position on the dry, neatly trimmed grass to walk towards him. Jaebeom sheepishly flashes him a smile, completely unaware of the ground he’s stepping on. 

"Be careful!" Jinyoung cries, alarmed. Jaebeom doesn't realise in time this time around, feet completely missing the ground and slipping on the round part of yet another outgrowing root. His eyes go wide in an instant, body falling before his hands can come out.

A pair of strong hands grip at his shoulders, their hold firm and secure. Jaebeom gulps, wondering if maybe falling was a better option.

“I told you to be careful,” Jinyoung quietly says, helping to steady Jaebeom to stand on a safer, flatter part of the ground. Taecyeon is watching them in amusement now, hands resting on his hips with a sly smile on his face.

Jaebeom can’t help but notice the lines running down his arm are glowing a different colour now, a solid earthy green instead of the iridescent earlier.  _ Wait just a second.  _

He glances down at the ground, suspicion proven when the obtrude root from earlier no longer there. He shoots Taecyeon a look, not glaring but displeased enough for the older man to get the message. Taecyeon only grins back in his charming, laidback fashion which makes Jaebeom even more sure that he’s like Jackson. 

Jinyoung, on the other hand, seems only concerned with the dirt caking the toes and sides of Jaebeom’s boots rather than his jokester of a master. Jaebeom finds himself having to resist the urge to squirm under Jinyoung’s scrutinisation, eyes shifting uneasily between Taecyeon and the top of Jinyoung’s head as the younger wizard bends down to ensure that Jaebeom’s pants aren’t dirty as well.

“You two have fun, I’ll be off! I’ll tell the King and Queen not to expect either of you back at the dinner table. Your Highness,” Taecyeon greets, swooping into a neat bow before stalking off, leaving the silence of the night to settle over them like a blanket too thick for the summer. 

“I’m fine,” Jaebeom says after a moment, taking a step back and giving both of them some space. Jinyoung’s hands automatically fall from Jaebeom’s forearms and go deep into his pockets, looking up and meeting Jaebeom’s gaze with visible effort.

The awkwardness makes them both dart their eyes away. Jaebeom sucks his bottom lip in and lightly nibbles on the soft flesh, racking his brains for something to say.

“Do you...want to take a seat first?” Jinyoung asks softly, gesturing to his earlier spot with an elbow. Jaebeom nods, the two of them shuffling there together awkwardly, one trailing a distance behind the other. Jinyoung’s hair seems to bounce and reflect the moonlight off the brown strands in this angle, and Jaebeom can’t help but stare at the way he resembles an angel with the pure light his arms are radiating. 

They settle down in a similar fashion as Jinyoung and Taecyeon had earlier, though the distance between them is a good metre or so. The grass itches against the thin material of his pants and Jaebeom finds himself shifting to get comfortable, while Jinyoung seems perfectly at home seated on the cut grass. 

His sleeves are still folded up to his elbow, the expensive material tight and scrunched up to reveal those enchanting, iridescent lines. Jaebeom can’t help but stare even more now that he’s so close, fingers twitching on his lap as they are tempted to reach out and touch. 

Jinyoung, of course, notices. He hurriedly reaches for his left sleeves, deft fingers already undoing the rolls. Jaebeom lets out a sound of protest, not wanting them to be hidden away just yet. 

“Are you not uncomfortable?” Jinyoung asks, fingers pausing their ministrations. 

Jaebeom gulps, voice coming out choppy but sincere. “N-no, I’m not. They look...they look cool,” he finishes lamely, voice becoming increasingly softer and more abashed. Jinyoung nods, lips pressing together to contain a smile.

A few heartbeats of silence passes between them before Jaebeom says something again. “Did you...did you enjoy the dinner?”  _ What the fuck am I so awkward for, ugh. I sound like I don’t know how to speak at all.  _

“I did. The cooks in the castle are very skilled,” Jinyoung answers, fingers curling to rest in loose fists on his thighs. “What about you?” 

Jaebeom nods, a proper reply unable to form on his tongue. He gulps audibly, cringing slightly in self-consciousness. 

“Jaebeom-ssi, I-”

“Jinyoung-ssi, I’m-”

They pause comically, the remaining syllables dying on their lips and fading off into the night. Jaebeom presses his lips together, and Jinyoung subconsciously mirrors the action across him.

“You go, Your Highness,” Jinyoung says, tone neither mocking nor angry. Jaebeom swallows his saliva thickly, though it does nothing to ease the dryness of his throat. He nods, the action more of a slow dip that displays his uncertainty and nervousness. 

Jinyoung watching him like a hawk throughout does nothing to ease the knot in his gut.

Jaebeom takes a deep breath, letting the air enter his lungs and calm him down before he starts. “I’m sorry. I know it’s a really standardised thing to say but I really am. I hadn’t considered your feelings, neither during the fight nor at the very start,”

“I didn’t mean it - not all of it, anyway,” Jinyoung scoffs quietly, though it isn’t nearly as hostile as it usually is. “I was mad and you were, too. Everything just started came flowing out once we started yelling and it just went downhill from there,”

The next part is more difficult for him because he has to swallow his pride and actually admit his faults. For Jaebeom - who has never had to do so because he's never met anyone who's challenged him so much - it's tough, needless to say. 

“I should have controlled my temper more and taken your feelings into consideration. I know this arrangement isn’t something that you had signed up for when my father had invited you to the castle to perform on the night of the ball, and I know it’s difficult to come to terms with it,”

Jinyoung holds up a hand, causing Jaebeom to pause mid-speech. “It’s not the arrangement that I’m mad about, though I do admit it plays a huge part in how I really feel. You don’t get it yet, do you?” 

“Get it? What?” Jaebeom asks, confused. 

“This isn’t about being dragged into a marriage with some random stranger, Jaebeom-ssi. Like I said two days ago during our fight, I had agreed to marry you because I thought you would genuinely be good for the future of Paean. My opinion still stands, no matter how much we may fight,”

Jinyoung sighs, holding his hands out in front of him and interlacing his fingers. Jaebeom sees clearly now that the glowing lines run all the way to the palm of his hand, ending in some sort of complex swirl right slap in the middle of the pale skin.

“Then what are you mad about? Or are you even mad at all?” Jaebeom asks, hoping the question doesn’t come off as brusque or accusing. Jinyoung looks up and meets his eyes, the dark brown orbs illuminated by the silver of moonlight cast down on them. Jaebeom can’t tell what the younger man is thinking.

“I was, or at least I thought I was. I realised after our fight in your study that I was confusing hurt with anger, and that it was wrong of me to take it out on you. I apologise for all of that - yelling, name-calling and insulting Paean. Do you forgive me for that?” Jinyoung asks, tone sincere. 

Jaebeom nods, not knowing what to say just yet. He had thought it was a simple case of not getting along due to the unhappiness of being pushed to marry a total stranger. The fact that it’s now about something  _ more  _ sparks a hurricane of questions he needs answers to. 

“What...what hurt you, then?” Jaebeom asks carefully. It’s as if he’s treading in a pool of murky swamp water, unable to see anything below the surface. The risk of stepping into uncharted territory and falling to his death scares him.

“Do you know what it’s like? To be invited to the place that you’ve always wanted to go to, to get the chance to perform and showcase your skills that you’ve spent years honing just so there might be a chance of someone recognising your talents?” Jaebeom nods along. The feeling of working hard to impress someone is no foreigner to him.

“Then imagine having all of that - the possibility of a future doing something you love, everything you’ve worked and hoped for - being stripped away in an instant just to become some pawn to aid another’s success,” Jinyoung says, words and eyes unwavering even as the horrible truth falls from his lips in that rich voice of him. 

The realisation hits Jaebeom and runs him over like a steamroller, causing him to reel back in shock. He hadn’t thought of it that way, his feeble mind only bringing him to the surface conclusion of Jinyoung being angry because he had been dragged into this stupid arrangement. Not once had he considered how many other emotions Jinyoung must have felt. 

He feels so fucking  _ stupid _ .

Jinyoung remains silent, observing Jaebeom and his reaction. Jaebeom opens his mouth, wanting to say something -  _ anything  _ \- to comfort Jinyoung or apologise. But nothing feels enough. 

Enough for Jaebeom to convey his guilt and empathy or for Jinyoung to accept as an apology, he does not know. 

His lips clamp shut in an instant, gritting his teeth as his mouth twists into a grimace. Jinyoung replies with a shadow of a smile that feels hollow and more like one of self-pity. 

“Do you get it now, Your Highness?” Jinyoung asks, not unkindly. Jaebeom nods, his words failing him. He would never affirm what Jinyoung has said, even though to put the truth bluntly, it is what it is. Encouraging Jinyoung and praising his worth would only sound like empty, pitiful grace. 

Jinyoung begins to unroll his sleeves; the enthralling designs embedded in his skin starts to lose their glow and fade into the blue-green of normal veins. Jaebeom unwillingly watches them get hidden away under the material of Jinyoung’s white shirt, curiosity still spiked.

"Of course, I'm not blaming any of this on your or your family. I know that this arrangement wasn't within your control, nor was it your decision to make alone. You have a duty to fulfil as the Crown Prince of Paean and I'll respect that you had to do this for the sake of your kingdom," 

Jinyoung pauses, fingers deftly buttoning up the remaining sleeve around his slim wrist. He looks up and meets Jaebeom’s eyes. Jaebeom is in awe at how serene and unbothered Jinyoung seems, though he gets the sense that he’s feeling nothing of the sort under all his facade of calmness.

_ How can he truly be relaxed about this? It’s his whole life and future and it’s been ruined. I’ve ruined it. _ The thought strikes Jaebeom like a bolt from the blue, and he jumps to say something before his brain can process it.

“I’ll call off the wedding. I’ll make sure that you won’t have to spend the rest of your life here - with people you don’t know, doing things you don’t like, leading a life you aren’t willing to live.”  _ With me, the person that has made you suffer.  _

Jaebeom hadn’t expected Jinyoung to  _ laugh. _ “Your Highness. With all due respect, how are you going to do that? We’ve both protested and shown our obvious animosity for this arrangement,” The ‘and for each other’ isn’t said but Jaebeom figures it’s implied, “yet your father has done nothing to cancel it,” 

Jaebeom frowns, forehead creasing and eyebrows pinching together.  _ He does make sense. How are you going to convince Father to cancel this whole wedding when it has already been announced? How are you going to explain to not just Paean, but the other Kingdoms?  _

“I-” Jaebeom starts, unsure of what to say but simply desperate to say something.

Jinyoung cuts him off easily, still calm and more at ease than Jaebeom would expect him to be. “You don’t have to. I didn’t tell you all of this to guilt-trip you into doing what would aid me in getting my life back on track. I meant what I said when I thought you were a good leader, and that you’d do good for Paean when you become King,”

“I respect your responsibilities and I’ll hold true to my promise to your parents, though I hope that  _ our  _ deal will still take place when the time is right. I appreciate how ready you are to fix things and I thank you for coming out here to talk to me about it,”

Jaebeom nods along dumbly. “There is no need to jump into rash decisions when the sake of your kingdom and people is at stake just for my feelings so please do not. I simply hope that we’ll be able to get along better after this and pull it off until we manage to come up with a plan for our deal, if you still recall it,”

“I do and I appreciate that you’re being very considerate but-“ 

“No, Your Highness. If you are to do this out of guilt and pity for me, then I would rather you not do it at all. I promise I’ll do my best to manage them and play a good fiancé until the wedding, so I hope you will respect my wishes,” Jinyoung says, unfolding his legs and getting up.

Jaebeom watches hazily as he dusts off grass and dirt from his pants, face void of any emotion. It confuses Jaebeom even more than before. He thought he had Park Jinyoung figured out - a smart but snarky man with a strong belief in his own opinions that would do everything to push them. However, it seems that Jinyoung is more than a simple stubborn hothead with a tongue too sharp for his own good. 

“Jinyoung-ssi,” Jaebeom calls, the younger’s name falling from his lips before he can stop it. Jinyoung pauses in his walk back to the castle, head turning to glance at Jaebeom with an eyebrow raised in question.

Jaebeom doesn't know what he wants to say and settles for the simplest thing that flashes across his mind, hoping it'll sound as sincere and he means it to be. 

“I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through,” 

Jinyoung smiles, a soft upturn of his rosy lips. “Please don’t apologise if you can’t do anything to change what has already happened. It’ll only decrease the worth of your words, and then apologies from you really won’t matter anymore in the future. Have a good night, Your Highness,” 

Jinyoung is gone within a few strides, his shadow disappearing the way Jaebeom came. The older man sits there, stumped. 

To think that Park Jinyoung was so mature and wise even as his own world was crumbling. To think that Park Jinyoung, who Jaebeom thought he knew and could read, had this whole different side to him.

_ I thought apologising would have been simple, quick even. God, how did things turn out to be so complicated? How am I going to face him from now on, when I know how much he's hurting being here? Am I supposed to just act as if none of this happened? Fuck, I wish I didn't have to be King.  _ The thought comes on a whim, in the moment of all his confusion and weariness.

_ Wait, what? Not be King? This is all you’ve been working for your whole life, Im Jaebeom. To be born the Crown Prince, to one day take over the throne and lead Paean to greater heights - are you going to give all of it up for someone like Park Jinyoung?  _ The irritating voice in his head asks, challenging him.

_ No! I’m not- this isn’t  _ for  _ Park Jinyoung,  _ Jaebeom tells the voice. Or perhaps, he’s trying to convince himself that he isn’t. 

Somehow, the knowledge that he’s hurt Park Jinyoung hurts him, too. He hates himself for ruining the younger’s life, even more so for all the deeds he’s done to make the other suffer for the past few days. 

Jaebeom is no sadist but he has never truly felt gut-wrenching remorse for someone else’s suffering. The fact that this isn’t even fully on his shoulders should lighten the guilt that seeps into his chest and flattens his lungs, but it doesn’t. 

It confuses him, even more so that it’s Park Jinyoung who’s making him this way. 


	6. narcissus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry if you thought i died i did not

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Training Courts_ **

 

Jaebeom pants heavily, his breathing growing more and more laboured as he dodges another one of Jackson's strikes. The younger man is still full of bounding energy and he moves with a natural grace and flourishes that starkly contrasts with Jaebeom's sluggish movements. Admittedly, it's been long since he's had time to even go for a jog, much less a full-on sparring match. 

Jackson is no easy competitor either. In his hometown, he was known for being a great duelist of natural agility and fiery strength in his jabs and lunges. Sparring with him would be equivalent to sparring with one of the higher ranking guardsmen.

“Tired already, old man?” Jackson teases, aiming another strike at Jaebeom’s chest with the thick wooden sticks that they’re using instead of swords. ( Of course, they wouldn’t want anyone  _ dying, _ would they? ) 

Jaebeom is too late to dodge and barely has the mind to raise his stick to deflect the blow in time, resulting in a loud cracking sound which resounds across the whole court. 

“You seem pretty tired to me. Or are you just... _ distracted?  _ By a certain  _ someone? _ ” Jaebeom grimaces and aims a low swing at Jackson’s legs which the younger man easily notices and jumps over. 

“Did that strike a spot? You’re so painfully obvious, hyung~” Jackson singsongs. Jaebeom growls low at the back of his throat but he can’t deny it, not to Jackson. His best friend knows him better than he knows himself sometimes and it isn’t as if Jaebeom  _ hadn’t _ spent the last night tossing and turning in bed due to a specific Park Jinyoung. 

“Shut up. Finish the fight, please,” Jaebeom grits out, purposefully jabbing Jackson lightly in the thigh. Jackson laughs again, bright and cheery and out of place in the dull, stuffy training courts. They’re covered in sweat and grime but Jackson still managed to light up the place - Jaebeom wonders how he has the energy to do so.

“Fine, fine. But when I win-”

“ _ If  _ you win,” Jaebeom interjects defiantly.

“ _ When  _ I win,” Jackson fixes him a smug look and Jaebeom scowls. “You’re going to have to tell me  _ everything.  _ From head to toe, no details left out whatsoever. Promise?” 

Jaebeom sighs and nods. Jackson cheers and strikes the ground with the butt of his stick twice, the sound of wood against stone low and loud to Jaebeom’s ears. 

“May the best man win,” Jackson says smugly like he already  _ knows _ he’ll be the winner. Jaebeom barely has time to wish him the same before Jackson springs an attack on him.

Jackson wins in five minutes. Jaebeom ends up with a knee on the floor, Jackson's wooden stick pressed against his throat while he is sent sprawling somewhere in another direction. Jackson smiles down at him victoriously. 

“Now, you have to tell me everything!” Jackson declares as he leans away and helps Jaebeom up in the process. The Crown Prince rubs his back, which started to protest when Jackson managed to land a light hit on the lower side, and goes to pick his stick up in defeat. 

"I would have told you still, you know. There isn't a need for you to hit me, Sseun," Jaebeom accuses a little sulkily.

“You told me to finish it up, so I did! Besides, what use is training if I don’t put any effort into it? And,  _ and,  _ I wanted to win so you would tell me,” Jackson admits a little sheepishly. They make their way out of the courts and to the storage room, where they stack up the wooden sticks neatly. 

"You're my best friend, of course, I'll tell you," Jaebeom points out as he rolls a few sticks under his fingers.

“I know, I know. So tell me, then! I’ve been dying of curiosity ever since last night’s dinner. Taecyeon hyung wasn’t willing to disclose anything to me nor Mark hyung, so I haven’t gotten any information yet,” 

“Taecyeon  _ hyung?  _ Did you make friends with him already? Mark hyung, too?" Jaebeom asks as they start walking back to the castle. Their feet naturally carry them around the back and to the gardens instead, where they find privacy under the shade of a big oak tree at the end. It's a spot of theirs ever since they had gotten close years ago and Jaebeom secretly misses the late-night talks they used to have when he wasn't so busy with duties. 

"Of course? I mean, it isn't that difficult when you actually try, hyung. Taecyeon hyung is a cool guy, even Mark said so." Jaebeom perks up, a smirk growing on his face.

“Is that why you want to be friends with him? Because Mark likes him?” Jaebeom teases. Jackson frowns at him, clearly not getting it. 

“I want to be friends with him because I genuinely want to. Why is Mark hyung suddenly involved?” Jackson asks.

"Because of y'know...you and Mark hyung…?" Jaebeom tries, hoping Jackson gets the hint. Jackson's frown only deepens, head tilting in confusion.

“Mark hyung and I? Are what? Friends? Of course, we are. Don’t you know that?” Jackson asks, poking Jaebeom on the shoulder.

“No! I mean-! Yes, I know that! But don’t you like Mark hyung?” Jaebeom asks, getting mildly frustrated with this. It always happens, and sometimes all he wants to do is slap Jackson with a brick that spells ‘MARK LOVES YOU, IDIOT’ in bright red ink. 

“Yeah? Haven’t we had this conversation before? I like Mark hyung, so what? Why is Taecyeon hyung suddenly part of that?” Jackson asks. Jaebeom sighs, decidedly giving up before he goes ahead with his brick plan and Jackson ends up with a serious concussion.

“Nevermind. What did you want to ask?” Jaebeom asks tiredly as he crosses his legs in front of him on the neatly cut grass. Some of it, the stubborn poky strands, prick his behind through his thin pants.

Jackson claps, his face taking on a determined expression. He presses his palms flat together and rests his chin on the tip of his fingers, eyes fixed on Jaebeom. The older is conflicted between laughing and getting scared.

“Jinyoung. Everything. Now.”

Nodding, Jaebeom gulps heavily. He opens his mouth to say something because he  _ thought _ he knew, thought he had figured out everything Jinyoung meant and how he felt after the two days of thinking and avoiding Jinyoung.

It turns out, as it always unfortunately does, that Jaebeom doesn’t know everything or anything at all.

And so he clamps his mouth shut after a good few seconds of opening and closing it like a goldfish; Jackson doesn’t seem one bit surprised and sighs. 

“How about we just go over whatever you two lovebirds went out to talk about?” Jackson offers, sounding a little bit like Jaebeom’s old teachers who always veered off topic and started talking about something they liked instead. 

He sucks in a long, slow breath and lets it out the same way, hoping it'll calm him down and clear his mind just a little. "I went out and he was renewing his magic, I think. His veins were glowing, they were sitting cross-legged and everything so I assume that's what it was. It looked cool - all blue and glowing and-"

“Hyung! Focus. On. The. Topic. Please. Don’t try changing it before we even start,” Jackson chides lightly. 

"Right, right! Sorry. I wanted to let them have their time and talk because I know they haven't talked since the ball and there are things Jinyoung has to say, so I hid behind a tree and just...waited,"

“Let me guess. You ended up falling and then Jinyoung noticed you and went over to check while Taecyeon secretly left?” Jackson asks, barely containing a shit-eating, knowing grin.

“Essentially, yes, but not the point. After I made a fool of myself, we went to sit and chat. I apologised,” Jackson fixes him an unbelieving look, eyebrows raised with a questioning purse of his lips. “I did! It was a peaceful conversation, promise,” 

"If you say so," Jackson replies, a hint of doubt but not anything too serious for Jaebeom to have to stop to defend himself.

“I apologised and he did, too. I told him I was sorry for assuming he was a gold-digger and then for whatever happened after that. He said he was sorry for taking out his frustrations on me and then saying all that he did in the library,” 

“So...where’s the bad part of this? Because everything sounds all good and healthy right up till this point, but I’m a hundred per cent sure it isn’t, judging by the distracted look that has been painted on your face since that night,” Jackson points out yet again.

“The bad part is…” Jaebeom pauses, thinking of how to phrase it. So many things had been said and confessed by Jinyoung yesterday, Jaebeom doesn’t even know where to start, much less smush it into a good summary. 

“I think he hates me even more now. Or maybe I hate myself because he hates me. I don’t know? I think there’s hate somewhere in this equation but yet again, I don’t even know what to think,” 

“And it’s like...I  _ thought _ apologising would be the solution to this...this  _ problem _ but I suppose it wasn’t enough. It was kind of my only hope and now...now I don’t know what to do and it’s frustrating because we aren’t talking and it  _ sucks  _ because it’ll just make him feel more alone and helpless and I think I just  _ fucked up so bad _ , Sseun-ah,

“Confessing how you feel to a total stranger isn’t easy but he did just that, which probably means he wouldn’t have done so if he wasn’t at  _ least  _ a little it desperate.  Hearing how hurt he was...how  _ I  _ was the cause of it...I don’t know. It’s just- I don’t- I’ve never really cared before but when it comes to Jinyoung, I just-”

“Okay, hold your horses  _ right there.  _ Calm down and take a deep breath before you turn from red to purple, I don’t need you fainting here and having your father on my ass for not taking care of you well enough.” Jackson cuts Jaebeom off mid-sentence, holding his hands out in front of the older’s face. Jaebeom nearly goes cross-eyed staring at Jackson through the gaps between his fingers.

It hadn't struck him that he'd been rambling for a good minute or so without any space in between to actual take proper breaths. When the fresh air of the outdoors enters his lungs instead of the dust-filled musk of the training courts, Jaebeom feels himself ease. 

“Better?” Jackson asks. 

“Much, thank you. I’m sorry for blabbering on like that,” Jaebeom apologises sheepily, scratching his nape. 

“Don’t be! Voicing out your thoughts always help. Besides, I think I understood all of  _ that  _ and got a grasp of the situation at hand - more or less, anyway - so...wanna hear what I think?” Jaebeom nods, a lump in his throat stopping him from saying anything coherent. 

"Having another talk is a must so that's that. I think you should figure out what  _ you  _ want from the next confrontation. Right now, I’m pretty sure all Jinyoung wants is to feel comfortable in the castle and around you,”

“I know what it’s like to be the stranger so I kind of understand how Jinyoung feels when you say he feels alone and helpless. It’s no easy feat to adjust to living in the castle, especially when he has to play such a major role here. You have to give him time to settle down before rushing anything else.” Jaebeom nods, making a mental list and noting that down as the first point.

_ Give Jinyoung time and space. Let him get used to things.  _

“In the meantime, what do  _ you  _ want, hyung? Do you want to be his friend? Do you want to gain his trust just for the sake of the marriage or do you genuinely want to know him as a person and possibly forge a friendship or something more?” Jackson earnestly asks without a hint of mischief in his voice, much unlike his usual teasing.

“I think it would be best for you to take some time to figure that out before talking to Jinyoung. That way, you’ll have an aim to achieve from the conversation and then I believe once you reach that goal, things will seem clearer and eventually solve themselves. It’s easiest to start with what you can find out, and that’s first deciding on how you feel,”

Jaebeom nods slowly as if he’s piecing the puzzle together slowly in his mind, the big picture forming. If he was being honest, becoming friends with Jinyoung would make sense. 

It's one thing to fake a wedding but marriage is more than just a ceremony with vows and rings and cake and champagne. There has to be a visible connection between two people - invisible chemistry that pulls them together. That sort of thing isn't something strangers can pull off. 

Making friends and genuinely getting to know each other would help in the long run, especially if the grand plan of escaping responsibilities ( which Jaebeom is still working on, bless him ) ends up backfiring and they have to stay married. 

But of course, Jaebeom can’t even do that because Jinyoung isn’t even  _ looking  _ at him. 

At breakfast this morning, Jaebeom wasn’t spared a single,  _ actual, proper  _ look in the eyes by Jinyoung. More of shady glancing and side-eyes, to be honest. The day before hadn't been any better. He had to sit through painful meals with the castle's newest guest treating him like he was invisible despite everyone trying to push the two into conversation repeatedly. 

He had also realised Jinyoung was avoiding him throughout the day - not that Jaebeom had gone  _ looking for him,  _ of course. ( He had given up once he searched the whole of the first and second level of the castle and asked at least half of the staff. ) 

Jinyoung was acting as if he were just another guest or another  _ being  _ living in the castle instead of the soon-to-be husband of the Crown Prince. Jaebeom felt like he was more of a stranger than the newer staff were. 

Jaebeom had thought that that was what he wanted - no fighting, hardly any interaction, both of them free to do whatever they liked until they had to act again - but it doesn’t sit right with him and he’s quick to realise that he  _ hates  _ it more than fighting.

He hates knowing that Jinyoung is hurting and all alone, hates that he  _ knows  _ yet he isn’t doing anything about it, hates that the guilt of being unable to help hits him in the chest every morning and night. 

Most of all, probably, is that he hates being the one to hurt Jinyoung. 

If it were someone else - a boring, simple-minded soul who was willing to marry him for the power and money - this situation wouldn’t even bother him one bit. 

He wouldn’t care if they fought or if they hated each other because a person like that didn’t deserve to be treated with any respect. 

But this was  _ Park Jinyoung.  _

This was Park Jinyoung - the man who came in and genuinely made friends with the people he holds closest to him, the man who treats both servants and royalty with equal respect, the man who gave up his  _ life goal  _ for the good of the kingdom and Jaebeom’s future. 

If Jaebeom didn’t cherish a person who was considered a rare gem in a chest full of fakes - be it a friend or future spouse or whatever it may be - he’d spend the rest of his life regretting it.

“Have you figured it out yet? Because we’ve been sitting here for a good five minutes in complete silence while you think with  _ that  _ look on your face and you have yet to tell me anything,” Jackson says, stretching out to lean on the tree behind them. 

“Right-! Sorry,” Jaebeom mumbles, mirroring Jackson. “I think I figured it out,” 

“You think?” Jackson asks doubtfully.

“I  _ know  _ I did," Jaebeom says, sounding more definite in his decision now. He supposes there isn't a way to  _ know  _ if Jinyoung truly hates him unless he tries to talk to him, so why not give it a go? 

"That sounds more kingly. I think Jinyoung was right when he said you were fit to rule," Jackson absentmindedly says, leaning his head on Jaebeom's shoulder as he used to when they were younger. The familiar weight is assuring and Jaebeom lets himself slouch slightly to make it more comfortable for his friend.

“I hope he still thinks that way after all of this,” Jaebeom replies.  _ Not much to lose, very much to gain so you might as well go for it, Im Jaebeom.  _

 

* * *

 

**_In The Kingdom of Paean, In Jinyoung’s Bedroom_ **

 

It's gotten easier after the talk he had with Jaebeom. Jinyoung has never been one for opening up to people in hopes of easing his burdens but confessing how he's been feeling for the past few days to Jaebeom had proved to be surprisingly helpful in lifting the weight off his shoulders. 

Though, it's undeniable that it had made things thousand times more awkward between them. 

_ It’s weird,  _ Jinyoung thinks to himself as he laces his fingers behind his head and leans on the plush pillows stacked nicely on his bed.  _ People usually avoid each other when they’re angry and talk right after the problem is solved but we’re the total opposite.  _

“Is that normal?” he wonders aloud to the empty room.  _ Probably not. Shouldn’t you guys be working out your differences and constructing that  _ grand plan _ to help you escape instead of sulking like teenagers?  _ A voice in his head tells him.

“I am  _ not  _ sulking. I’m just taking some time to think about what to say. Besides, there isn’t much of a need to talk to him unless communication is absolutely necessary, is there? That’s what we agreed on,” Jinyoung reasons, trying to defend himself. 

That's indeed what they had agreed on and Jinyoung had thought it was all fine and dandy with him if they didn't talk, but that was before he had told Jaebeom how he felt and gotten an apology.

 It was before he realised that perhaps, Im Jaebeom was a better person than he let people think he was, and Jinyoung was just a little bit interested in knowing him better. 

( No one needs to know that, definitely, but he will admit to himself that Im Jaebeom’s character  _ does  _ intrigue him a little. The man is a closed book when he’s around strangers, including Jinyoung, but Jinyoung has seen the way he acts around his family. The affection in his eyes when he looks at Yugyeom, Youngjae and Bambam is undeniable, not to mention the grin he has on his face when chatting with Jackson or the sweet kisses he peppers on the Queen’s cheek. )

Now, Jinyoung finds himself being tempted to strike up a conversation with a certain Crown Prince. It's tough - the awkwardness is  _ really  _ killing him and he's pretty sure Jaebeom can feel it, too - and neither of them is the best at starting conversations. 

That, along with the fact that Jinyoug is a coward who likes to run away from his problems instead of facing them head-on, is the reason why he's been strategically avoiding Jaebeom since the morning. 

It had been difficult, considering the fact that Jinyoung is fairly new to the place and has yet to fully grasp the complicated hallways and seemingly endless amount of rooms of the castle, but he’d successfully managed to avoid crossing paths with the Crown Prince for two consecutive days. 

( He had also sought solace in Taecyeon's tower for extended periods during the day, which he had spent practising his spells and assisting Taecyeon in potions. His master was kind enough to give Jinyoung some advice and no more to prevent stressing Jinyoung out. The time would have been spent on lessons with Jaebeom to get him used to the royal life but of course, with their current situation, that was out of the question. )

Embarrassing as it was to have to scurry around corners and dart into random rooms every time he felt Jaebeom’s presence, not to mention the weird and curious looks he earned from the servants who watched him with a little more amusement than they should, Jinyoung figured it was much better than having to talk to Jaebeom after his embarrassing, over-emotional confession.

Thinking about it sends shivers down his skin and he turns to bury his head deep in his pillow, lightly squirming on the silky covers like a shy adolescent who had just confessed to his crush. 

“Why am I such an idiot?” he says into the cloth, fingers gripping the plush that easily gives way under his touch. 

“I don’t think you’re an idiot, hyung. Unless, of course, this has something to do with my dear brother then I agree with you a hundred per cent,” 

Jinyoung whips around, legs folding up under him as he sits up in embarrassment, cheeks burning when he sees Yugyeom’s mischievous grin. 

“Trouble in paradise again? I assumed it would all be fine after yesterday’s talk,” Yugyeom says, sitting on his bed. He’s dressed much more casually than Jinyoung has seen for the past few days - a maroon cotton short-sleeve with deep sloping cut with dark trousers instead of his usual silky ensemble. The familiar scent of fresh herbs hit Jinyoung’s nose the second he breathes in.

“Were you doing some gardening? I can smell mint and rosemary on you. Not my favourite combination,” Jinyoung says, wrinkling his nose while subtly shifting away from the younger. Yugyeom frowns, lifting the material to his nose and taking a whiff. 

Shrugging, he replies, "I was plucking some herbs for mother since she wanted to personally try some new dish for dinner later. I'm not sure what rosemary smells like but don't worry about the smell, I already instructed Bambam to draw me a bath. Anyway, trouble in paradise. What's going on, hyung?" 

Jinyoung sighs, tucking his knees close to his chest and resting his chin on them, lightly rocking in his little ball. “I want to talk to your brother,” 

“Really?” Yugyeom can’t keep the shock, much less the serious doubt, out of his voice. Jinyoung shoots him a minor glare as a warning.

“ _ Yes _ . I want to talk to your brother because I feel like…"  _ You can’t tell Yugyeom you’re interested in his older brother, can you?  _ “...because I feel like it would be better for us to fully ease whatever tension we have between us before anyone starts to suspect that we aren’t a real couple,”

"Plus, I think the Queen and King would be glad to see us getting along well since they seem so excited for Jaebeom-ssi to become King in a few months," Jinyoung adds, hoping the reason suffices. Yugyeom runs the thought through his mind for a while, tapping on his chin.

"I guess that makes sense. Jaebeom hyung would be happy to talk to you, I can tell you that. He was clearly suffering in silence this morning when you made it obvious to the whole table that you weren't interested in any conversation,"

Jinyoung flushes, tucking his chin under his knees even further. “Was he really? Suffering, I mean. I didn’t notice,” 

Yugyeom nods a little too enthusiastically considering the context of the situation. “Even the newer servants could see it. Seungmin, the sweet thing, came to ask Jaebeom hyung whether he was alright after you left immediately after finishing your food. It was amazing to watch Jaebeom hyung get so flustered by that simple question,” 

“You’re horrible, you know that? Your older brother is suffering and yet, you enjoy it,” 

“Says the source of his suffering,” Yugyeom shoots back playfully. 

"I didn't mean to do it! It was just- I was just- I don't know, okay! I want to talk to him but for the past few times where I've tried to do so, it's always resulted in a fight. I don't know what's good for us - whether we should talk and be acquaintances of some sort or only communicate when absolutely necessary -  and it's difficult,"

“I want to know how he feels before doing anything just in case I mess up again,” Jinyoung admits in a soft voice. 

“But you can’t do that unless you talk to him, or get information from someone else, right? Is that why you’re struggling? Because you want to talk to him but you’re scared it’ll cause more fights and you can’t be sure of how he feels, right?” Yugyeom asks, resting a comforting hand on Jinyoung’s arm.

Jinyoung nods wordlessly. 

“I don’t think you’re an idiot, hyung. I just think you’re a coward,” Yugyeom states carelessly. Jinyoung’s head shoots up, an offended scowl on his face. 

“I think you’re a coward, but so is Jaebeom hyung. I may not have talked to Jaebeom hyung much in the way I’m talking to you now, but I know my older brother. He’s just as affected as you are and knowing his bull-headedness, he won’t be approaching you unless someone manages to knock some sense into him,” 

“And even if someone did manage to do that, he’ll second guess himself and hold it off for at least another day until he actually approaches you. If you want to understand how he feels, the only way is to ask him. Both of you are clearly suffering under this unnecessary cold war so why not be the bigger person and approach him first? You’ll even get to rub it in his face afterwards,”

Jinyoung smiles at the last statement and Yugyeom returns his smile with one of his own. “Do you think he’ll be willing to talk to me?” 

Yugyeom pats Jinyoung's arm, nodding. "A hundred per cent. If I'm being honest, he's more desperate to talk to you than you are to talk to him. He just...struggles a lot with putting his feelings into words if you haven't noticed by now. Be patient with him, okay, hyung?"

"He's a little dense when it comes to relationships, isn't he?" Jinyoung jokes, feeling lighter now that he's decided. He figures Yugyeom is not that bad of a confidant as Mark is and the younger prince is more mature and wise than he lets people think he is.

“A little dense doesn’t seem to cover it well enough, but sure. Will you be talking to him after dinner later?” Yugyeom asks.

“I’ll need a little more time, I think, but definitely tonight. I’ll let you know after? If you’re interested in knowing?” Jinyoung asks, a little self-conscious. He isn’t used to sharing feelings and his personal life with people he’s known for a few days and oversharing is something he knows can annoy others easily.

"Of course, I'm interested. My room is always open to visits." Yugyeom winks teasingly as if he were a male escort inviting Jinyoung to bed. Jinyoung makes a scandalised sound in the back of his throat and swats at the younger man, nudging him off the bed. 

“Go take a shower, you nasty thing. I can’t believe you and Jaebeom-ssi are related when you can make lewd insinuations like that on a whim,” Jinyoung says, laughing.

Yugyeom laughs along with him, scrambling to the door and pulling it open. “It’s only lewd if you think about it that way! Plus, you’ll be shocked to find out how impure Jaebeom hyung actually is. Look forward to that when it comes.” Another sleazy wink is sent Jinyoung’s way and Jinyoung picks up a pillow from behind him, holding it up.

Yugyeom lets out an undignified squawk and quickly darts out of the room before Jinyoung can hurl the plush cushion at him, but he yells out a quick ‘See you at dinner!’ before leaving for good.

Jinyoung puts down the pillow, shaking his head and laughing at the young prince's antiques. From Mark to Yugyeom, Jinyoung thinks life in the castle might be enjoyable in time to come. 

If only dealing with Jaebeom was this easy. 

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Dining Room_ **

 

The tell-tale smell of pork frying and freshly pickled  _ kimchi  _ hits Jinyoung’s nose as soon as he enters the dining room. Instead of the usual fanciful layout of silver platter stacked high with delicious delicacies unique to Paean, which Jinyoung has come to love over the past week, a large metal pan is situated in the middle with slices of pork already displayed and frying on top of it.

Jackson, who’s attending to said meat on the grill, waves the pair of mini tongs at Jinyoung as soon as he comes in. 

“What’s the special occasion?” Jinyoung asks, carefully observing the fatty slices of meat sizzle, the juices oozing out onto the pan. Trying not to drool proves to be an issue, especially when his last meal was a good six hours ago. 

"Not sure but I heard the Queen instructing the cooks to prepare multiple platters of different meats so I suppose it's something good," Jackson says while he expertly flips the golden-brown slices and lathers on more butter to the uncooked pink sides. "She likes to keep the good meat for celebrations," the man adds.

“That’s...nice. Where are the King and Queen? I know Taecyeon hyung left the castle yesterday evening for a trip to visit some neighbouring wizard so he won’t be here but what about Yugyeom and…?” Jinyoung trails off, hoping Jackson would be kind enough to understand. 

“The King and Queen should be on the way here from their evening walk. Yugyeom is probably distracted by conversation somewhere,” Jackson says, purposefully shooting Jinyoung a look. 

Jinyoung gulps, pulling out his chair excruciatingly slowly, avoiding eye contact with Jackson all the while. “And what about...the Prince?” 

“You can just say his name, y’know. We’d  _ all  _ like to hear the two of you address each other without the unnecessary awkwardness once in a while," Jackson says, a slight smile playing on his lips. 

“It’s...difficult. Sorry,” Jinyoung apologises out of embarrassment, settling down stiffly in his seat. Jackson remains silent, and Jinyoung supposes he  _ could  _ try if it was only the two of them in the room.

“Where’s Jaebeom-ssi?” Jinyoung asks again, peeking at Jackson. The other man smiles and raises an eyebrow, seemingly amused.

“You’re quite like him in some ways. The dear  _ Prince  _ is resting in his quarters for the evening. He seems to have hurt his back due to some sparring we did earlier in the afternoon. You’re free to visit him after dinner, of course,” Jackson says cheerily. 

Jinyoung flushes, but manages to enquire further, “So he won’t be having dinner with us, then?” 

“He’ll be having his meal sent to his room. Why? Worried? Interested?” Jackson teases, putting on fresh slices on beef onto the grill. 

“No-! I was just- just curious, is all. Not worried, nor interested,” Jinyoung quickly defends, flustered. Jackson laughs, delighted in teasing. Jinyoung sits still, at a loss, unable to find the words to defend himself further. 

The rest of the royal family, thankfully, arrives to save him.

“Don’t bully Jinyoung hyung about his little crush, Jackson hyung,” Yugyeom says, though he joins Jackson in winking and laughing. Jinyoung scowls at Yugyeom, though it lacks his usual sass and hostility. 

“Boys, be nice to Jinyoung,” The King says, an equally amused smile on his lips. Jinyoung turns deep red now, his ears hot.  _ Is the whole family like this or is it just me that they love to tease?  _

“Don’t worry, Jinyoung. Our Jaebeommie just needs a little more time to open up to you. In the meantime, should we start dinner? I’m feeling a little famished smelling the meat. You’ve grilled it well, Jackson,” The Queen says, taking her seat while beckoning the rest to do the same. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Jackson grins, taking a seat next to Jinyoung instead of Yugyeom.

“Wouldn’t want you feeling lonely without your fiance, would we?” Jackson whispers, winking. Jinyoung lightly nudges him, which feels a little awkward since they aren’t close, but it makes Jackson burst into another bout of giggles so Jinyoung supposes it’s fine. 

"Let's start dinner properly, then,"

 

* * *

 

Jinyoung feels full after his second serving of meat and rice. The slices of juicy pork, beef and chicken had been irresistible and Jinyoung had stuffed himself to the brim mouthful after mouthful. 

While he enjoyed the traditional Paean delicacies they usually had, this meal  _ was  _ a nice change and reminded him of home back in the Alstroemeria Woods, where he and Taecyeon often shared meals like these. 

Everyone else seemed to thoroughly enjoy the meal as well - Jackson was still wolfing down piece by piece next to him while Yugyeom was showing off his grilling skills by attempting to perfectly cook a thick slice of pork skin for his father. 

The Queen, however, was watching him with inexplicable interest that made Jinyoung involuntarily squirm in his seat whenever he caught her eye.

"Are you finished with your meal, Jinyoung?" she asked, loud enough for everyone to hear and halt in their activities.  _ I thought the Queen wouldn't put me in a spot by teasing me as everyone else has but I suppose the whole family is this way, huh,  _ Jinyoung thought to himself. 

“Y-yes, I am. It was a good meal, Your Majesty,” Jinyoung awkwardly says, trying his best to maintain eye contact with the Queen though it was difficult since she was shooting him a knowing look.

“Then would you like to be excused early? You are not required to sit here idly and wait for the rest of us if you wish to be somewhere else,” The Queen says. Jackson nearly chokes on his rice next to Jinyoung and Jinyoung sighs, decidedly giving up and giving in to this family with their ceaseless teasing and looks. 

“I suppose I’ll retire early to my room then, if you do not mind,” Jinyoung replies, spending way too much time rearranging his used cutlery. 

“Of course, you may.” Jinyoung slowly pushes his chair back and stands, a tad dramatic just to show how unwilling to go he is, before turning on his heel and leaving. 

"Two rooms down from the library!" Yugyeom calls out as he leaves the room, followed by Jackson's signature giggle. Jinyoung mutters a curse under his breath but goes towards the direction of the library, anyway.

Despite the initial reluctance to visit Jaebeom in his own quarters, Jinyoung felt the familiar tingling of anticipation bubbling up deep within the pit of his stomach as he walked. The empty hallways, due to it being dinnertime, only served to increase the odd mix of nervousness and excitement stirring in him. 

_ Just like you practised. Talk to him, tell him how you feel and what you want and then wait for a response. If it's good, then good for you, Park Jinyoung. If it's bad, then take it in stride and go. Don't be impatient and assuming like last time,  _ he tells himself as he walks. 

The walk to the library feels unusually short and the undeniable knots in his stomach are tighter now - to the point that Jinyoung feels breathless. He reaches the door to Jaebeom’s room, only now realising how he’s never bothered to know where the older man resides throughout his time here. 

It dawns on him that he doesn’t know much about Jaebeom at all. 

“All the more reason to do this, right?” he whispers to himself, slowly lifting his hand to the door. He never knew knocking could be so intimidating. Taking a deep breath, he curls his hand into a light fist and lets his knuckles hit the wood, a definite  _ knock _ . 

Jaebeom’s voice is so soft and muffled that Jinyoung almost misses it when he tells him to come in.

 

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s Bedroom_ **

 

“Did you bring the dessert that I-” Jaebeom halts in his sentence, mouth falling open as he sees who it is. It isn’t Youngjae nor is it Bambam or some other servant. 

"Park Jinyoung," he breathes, throat feeling awfully dry despite just having drunk some juice. 

_ Jinyoung is in my room. Park fucking  _ Jinyoung  _ is in my room and I’m dressed in my sleepwear. Oh my God, I probably look like a mess right now. Why did he have to come here?  _ Jaebeom internally panics, fingers itching to run through his bed hair. He'd dove straight into bed after a shower and taken a good hour-long nap to replenish his energy from the tiring sparring session with Jackson.

He had woken up barely an hour ago to eat, totally unprepared to face the beauty that was Park Jinyoung visiting him all alone in his personal quarters. 

Perhaps it was Jaebeom’s sleep-hazed mind or the fact that it’s been long since he’s looked at Jinyoung proper, but has the younger man always looked so beautiful? 

Jaebeom’s room is only lit by the yellow glow of his bedside lamp and the sunset streaming in through the windows, painting Jinyoung in soft golden light. The white silk shirt that Jinyoung is in, one of Jaebeom’s old ones, seems almost translucent and Jaebeom can’t tear his eyes away from the milky white collarbones peeking out beneath the collar.

_ He shouldn’t be allowed to look this good or I really might do something dumber than I already have,  _ Jaebeom thinks to himself as he watches Jinyoung shift from foot to foot in a daze. 

It must have gotten a little too awkward - probably weird considering all Jaebeom had been doing for the last few minutes was  _ staring  _ \- because Jinyoung clears his throat pointedly.

Jaebeom snaps out of his entranced state, panicking for a split second and haphazardly throwing off the covers and getting out of bed.

“Please give me a few minutes to wash up and compose myself. I fear this state might be a little too inappropriate and might lead to assumptions. Wouldn’t want that, would we?” Jaebeom laughs awkwardly, already regretting his choice of words.  _ Why the hell would you say that, Im Jaebeom? Oh my God, just get into the shower and save yourself from further embarrassment. _

“Right-! Of course, take your time. I’ll just…” Jinyoung tugs at his collar, further exposing his unmarked skin that makes Jaebeom gulp. “I’ll just hang around until you’re done. Is that fine?” 

_ Oh, how good it is to hear his voice again.  _ “Of course-! Of course, sure. Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be out in a bit,” Jaebeom replies, hoping he isn’t sounding too enthusiastic. Jinyoung nods with the smallest of smiles, though a bit awkward and out of place, but Jaebeom takes it anyway.

He manages to tear himself away this time without staring for too long. Quickly grabbing a change of clothes and a fresh towel, he leaves Jinyoung to take the quickest shower he’s ever taken in his life. 

The warm water definitely helps to wake him up a little and the reality of the situation dawns on him again as he steps out of the shower, half-naked save for the flimsy towel doing little to hide his dignity. 

"Park Jinyoung is in my fucking bedroom and I'm half-naked in the toilet. Oh my God, what kind of disaster is this?" Jaebeom mutters to himself as he dries off and dresses. 

The wet strands on his head splatter water droplets everywhere as he rubs his head with his towel in an attempt to dry off. It’s messy and not very prince-like, but Jinyoung is  _ right outside _ , waiting and willing to talk to him.

Jinyoung had  _ come  _ to him for once - after days of thinking that the younger hated him and would never talk to him again out of his own will - the relief that Jaebeom feels is indescribable. 

He’s not going to be an idiot and waste that chance just because of a stupid shower or because his hair isn’t cooperating with him. 

Quick as he entered, Jaebeom leaves the bathroom with his shirt messily buttoned and half-tucked into his pants, hair a half-dried mess but smelling and looking way fresher than before. 

_ Of course, I’m never going to be able to compare with that,  _ Jaebeom thinks as he readjusts his outfit while secretly admiring the view of Jinyoung exploring his bookshelf. The younger has his front facing the window, his eyes squinting at the small words of the blurb while he tries to make use of the natural light and Jaebeom’s lamp.

The book he's holding is one of Jaebeom's personal favourites,  _ ‘I Will Hold Your Heart’ _ . It's been the book that's accompanied him on the countless sleepless nights he's experienced, and he vaguely wonders if Jinyoung has had trouble sleeping for the past few days as he has. 

“I didn’t know you liked to read,” Jaebeom says with a smile as he walks towards Jinyoung, stopping a few feet away to avoid invading Jinyoung’s personal space. Jinyoung startles the slightest bit, his shoulders jerking upwards as he fumbles with the paperback. 

“Sorry, the title caught my attention. I didn’t mean to invade your privacy or anything,” Jinyoung quickly apologises, voice small and tense as he returns the book to its original slot in Jaebeom’s shelf. 

"No, no, you didn't. I can loan it to you if you'd like. It's good company if you have insomnia or anything of that sort," Jaebeom says. Jinyoung pauses, fingers halting in their administrations of pushing the book back.

“Have you had trouble sleeping a lot, then?” he asks, back still facing Jaebeom. 

Jaebeom swallows, feeling the tension thicken in the air. However, instead of the usual fiery, electrical tension they have where they might jump at each other’s throats any second, it’s a milder one full of nervousness and caution. Jaebeom feels like he’s threading in a field full of kittens and any wrong step could lead to one of them getting hurt. 

"Admittedly, a little. It's not much to worry about, though. Just some habitual thinking, is all," Jaebeom quickly assures, though he isn't sure why he would do that if Jinyoung doesn't care. 

“Are you getting enough sleep? If you’re tired, you should take more naps instead of sparring with Jackson. You’re injured too, right? It’s not healthy if you’re exercising on little sleep. If you’d like, I could-” Jinyoung stops, eyes widening as if he’s just realised what he’s just said. 

Jaebeom can’t help it. The grin that takes up his face tugs at his cheeks and is probably really unsightly but he can’t help it. Jinyoung actually  _ cares  _ and Jaebeom would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good. 

“If I’d like, you could?” Jaebeom asks, too ecstatic to worry about the tension. 

“...I could brew up a potion to help you. It’s a simple one that I’ve used before, too. If you aren’t- if you don’t trust me, I could ask Taecyeon hyung to make it instead. That’s if you’d like me to,” Jinyoung adds, looking down at his toes. The tips of his ears are red, endearingly so, and Jaebeom’s grin widens even further.

“I’d like it if you made me a potion, Jinyoung-ssi. In return for the book I’m about to lend you, of course,” Jaebeom replies, smiling. Jinyoung nods slowly - shyly - turning around to grab the book and tuck it tightly under his arm.

“Well, I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. Jackson made it sound like you were suffering and it sounded a little... _ lonely  _ to have dinner alone,” Jinyoung admits, scratching his nape. Jaebeom traces the movement - the slight tilt of his neck, the way his long, slender fingers move and how his unwaxed hair falls over his eyebrows - wanting to commit the scene to memory.

“Is that all?” Jaebeom asks, feeling a sudden surge of courage. He takes a tentative step forward. When Jinyoung doesn’t back away, only watches him with shaky but curious eyes, he takes another step.

"I mean...I wanted to apologise as well, for the past two days. It was- it was a little childish of me to...avoid you," Jinyoung says, voice growing higher and more breathless as Jaebeom nears him. They're barely a foot apart now, with Jinyoung backed up against the bookshelf. 

“Is that  _ really  _ all, Jinyoung-ssi? I was hoping for a more concrete reason,” Jaebeom says, leaning in and dropping his voice to a husky drawl. He takes pride in the way Jinyoung shivers the slightest bit, his hands curled tightly around the untucked hem of his shirt. 

Jinyoung looks to the floor, lightly chewing on his bottom lip. “Hmm? What is it? I’m almost certain there’s another reason why you’re here, Jinyoung-ssi,” Jaebeom asks again, resting his forearm on the row of books above Jinyoung’s head and leaning in.

Jinyoung pushes himself back even further than before, the spines of the books digging into his back. Still, he refuses to look at Jaebeom, as stubborn as always. 

“We don’t have all day. Although, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like. It gets a little lonely in the east wing of the castle. Would you care to accompany me?” Jaebeom asks, fixing his star straight on Jinyoung. 

With Jaebeom leaning in this much - his breath dusting Jinyoung’s cheek - the younger has no way to avoid his gaze anymore. Defiant as an adolescent, he meets Jaebeom’s gaze with shaky eyes.

Despite being the one to initiate this close-up stare-off, Jaebeom is surprised. The confidence he had had for the past few minutes falters, and he struggles to hold the younger’s gaze.

“You wanted to know the reason I came here?” Jinyoung asks. The nervousness isn’t gone, but there’s an underlying determination to his voice that makes Jaebeom more nervous than he should be. The Crown Prince nods, not trusting his voice.

“I came here for you, Jaebeom-ssi,” Jinyoung says, almost whispers. 

"I came here for you because I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you and speak with you because...because…" Jinyoung trails off, looking away again. 

Jaebeom realises that he doesn’t want Jinyoung to stop talking, to shut in on himself again because they could finally be making progress and Jaebeom doesn’t want to lose it. He grabs the closest thing he can find, Jinyoung’s soft, pale hand, and lightly tugs Jinyoung even closer to get his attention.

"Because of what, Jinyoung-ssi? I wanted to see you as well so...so tell me, please?" Jaebeom hopes it's sincere enough, his grip on Jinyoung's hand soft and oh-so-careful. 

“I wanted to because I’ve been thinking a  _ lot  _ for the past two days and...and I realised that you deserved more than just an apology and a confession. I realised that if you and I,  _ we  _ were going to go through a marriage, you deserved something more than just fake smiles and empty words,”

Jinyoung swallows thickly, almost audibly, before daring to look up at Jaebeom again. “I figured to do that, I’d have to start making the effort to talk to you outside of what was necessary. Of course-! It’s fine with me if you aren’t interested in conversing with me or choose to avoid me because I understand that I  _ can  _ be a little bit of a prick once in a while, but…” 

The younger visibly struggles with himself for a second, jaw clenching and unclenching, before he says, “I wanted to see you, still, so here I am,” 

Jaebeom gazes at Jinyoung, unsure of what to say. Or rather, he has so much to say and isn’t sure of what would be first. 

He wishes he were able to freeze time so that he and Jinyoung would remain like that forever - seeing each other, being honest and open about their feelings. He wishes he could have Jinyoung like this so that the younger would stop running away from him every time. 

He realises, now, as he stares into Jinyoung’s wide eyes that are a hazel ocean of determination and nervousness, that this certain wizard was more important to him than he had ever imagined he would be. 

“If you’ve already come here, don’t run away from me again,” 


	7. delphinium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so a little intro and teaser for jinyoung's past + jaebeom's feelings! it's gonna be as slow burnt as i can make it so :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear im not dead ive just been busy and procrastinating and just rlly swamped w shit but i promise i back for good now with hopefully updates every two-three weeks ! also a big thank you to my lovely betas - jia, cin and em. their twitters are @ceojaebeom , @Cinthecloud and @babiejinyoungie respectively! em's ao3 is breakingmyrules again so please do show them love if you liked the chapter! 
> 
> also a big thankyou to everyone who's been patient and willing to still support me after i disappeared like that. i love you all <3

**_In The Hyacinthus Jungle, Taecyeon_ **

 

He really dreads coming to this cursed jungle. Not only does the excessive pollen make him sneeze uncontrollably, but the constant rain also provides enough moisture for his new boots to squish and sink into the slushy mud. The walk to his destination adds on to his irritation since wizards  _ love  _ hiding among the trees in God-knows-where. 

( Alstroemeria Woods is an exception because it has ample fresh air and sunlight so that Taecyeon doesn’t trip over his own feet at two in the afternoon, unlike in this darned place. )

“ _ God _ , they couldn’t have chosen a more deserted hiding spot, huh? All this walking for hours and I can’t even see the damned entrance yet. Nickhun should have just sent me directions to Atlantis instead. It would’ve been easier that way,” Taecyeon complains loudly to the trees as he treads through more mud.

“It’s not even a forest but a stupid  _ jungle _ ! I swear if I run into a wild boar today…" he curses as he reads off the slowly disappearing map. The black ink on the small piece of folded parchment turns bright, glowing red and fades off into ashes as he covers more ground. 

“I hope they have food. They should have some, I’m  _ really  _ starving my ass off doing this. I envy Jinyoungie now, getting to live in the castle with people serving him all the time. Heck, he even has the Crown Prince of Paean by his side,” Taecyeon says.

_ Speaking of, I wonder how they’re doing. Knowing Jinyoungie, he would have done something reckless by now. Prince Jaebeom doesn’t look like a very wise man either, does he?  _ Taecyeon stifles a laugh to himself as he recalls the first night when Jaebeom had tripped and Jinyoung had been so worried that he had forgone replenishing his magic. 

_ Those two would make a great pair,  _ he thinks wistfully, imagining Jaebeom with a crown on his head and Jinyoung standing tall and proud at his side. 

_ I just hope time will heal the wounds that have been made. We can’t have a repeat of history, can we?  _ Taecyeon thinks as he finally reaches his destination for the trip. 

The entrance hasn’t changed since the last time he’d visited - a bare door in the trunk of an old tree, without any handles or knobs to open it. The carvings on the door, though, have been re-carved and painted over with a fresh coat of gold and Taecyeon immediately  _ knows  _ it was Wooyoung. 

Not bothering with knocking, he produces his wand from his sleeve and taps the delicate brown tip on the door, lips moving as he reads the enchantment out. The door falls open, revealing a familiar bright pathway, and Taecyeon steps onto solid ground for the first time in hours. 

 

* * *

 

**_In The Hyacinthus Jungle, In The Hideout_ **

 

“Honeys, I’m home!” He jokingly calls out as he crumples up the map in his hand, the ink completely burnt off. Simultaneously, five bodies appear out of nowhere and collide with his, enveloping him in a bone-crushing group hug. Not even having the space to move his arms, he lets himself be squeezed tightly by his old friends -  _ family  _ \- until they eventually let him go.

“Welcome back, hyung,” Junho greets with a fond grin, reaching up to squeeze Taecyeon’s cheek. Taecyeon lets him, but only because he dotes on Junho a little more than the others. 

“Yeah! Welcome home, Taecyeon-ah,” Min Jun mimics Junho’s action, squeezing Taecyeon’s other cheek. Taecyeon shoots his hyung a glare, and the whole group erupts into laughter. 

“Do you guys have food? I’m really hungry and the hike that you all put me through was  _ not  _ a fun experience. You guys really have to set up that portal I suggested the last time in my letter,” Taecyeon said as he takes off his cloak and hangs it up on the rack where five other matching cloaks are. 

“I remember telling you why we didn’t do it, didn’t we? It’s too dangerous,” Nickhun replies as he makes his way around the kitchen counter and to the stove. 

“Oh! But you’re now the Royal Wizard, aren’t you, hyung? Don’t you have your own living space or something like that?” Wooyoung asks as he settles on the couch with Chansung and Min Jun. 

“I do, actually. It’s a nice, tall tower a little further from the castle. The view there is actually pretty great. Much better than this dreaded jungle, anyway,” Taecyeon replies, inspecting his soiled boots. He produces his wand again and mutters a spell again, the dirt slowly cleaning itself off the polished black leather. 

“Then privacy should be no issue, right?” Min Jun asks. 

“Unless…” Taecyeon shoots Min Jun a sly, sultry look and the older immediately gets it.

“You’re still out there seducing women? Even with Jinyoungie by your side and  _ living  _ with you? I can’t believe you have subjected him to the same pain that we all had to go through a decade ago,” Chansung disapprovingly says, shaking his head. 

“I have not! It’s been months, please. Besides, Jinyoungie doesn’t even live with me now. He lives in the castle and is about to marry a prince,” Taecyeon proudly announces as he slides onto a stool by the kitchen counter. 

“A  _ prince? _ ” Junho asks, sitting next to Taecyeon, eyes wide. 

“The  _ Crown  _ Prince,” Taecyeon smugly adds, smirking. Everyone turns to look at him, even Nickhun who’s busy frying rice for everyone. 

"So our little Jinyoungie, the same scrawny, pale boy, is going to become King?" Wooyoung asks, jaw-dropping. Taecyeon nods, satisfied by their reactions. If Jinyoung were there, he would be so embarrassed by all his uncles’ reactions and blushed the whole trip back. 

“Well, technically, he’ll be Queen, but that part doesn’t matter. He’ll still be a ruler and it was all because of a performing gig we got at the Crown Prince’s birthday ball,” Taecyeon laughs, remembering how Jinyoung had been so excited yet nervous to be performing in front of the royal family. 

“Wait so you’re telling me our little wizard man is going to be crowned  _ Queen  _ in a matter of months? And he’ll be in a crown and everything? With a ring on his finger? Identical to the King’s?” Junho asks, eyes almost bulging out of his head.

“Is marriage  _ that  _ foreign of a concept to you?” asks Nikhun, who earns a slap on the shoulder from Junho for that shady comment. 

“Well, I’m about ninety per cent sure the two of them are going to plot something to get out of it. We all know Jinyoungie - he has a dream and he wants to live it out. Prince Jaebeom, on the other hand, is complicated. The two have been fighting on and off ever since we arrived there but every time they do so, the Prince looks more distressed than ever,” Taecyeon explains.

“So...he likes Jinyoung?” Wooyoung asks. 

“I can’t confirm that yet. Jinyoung might like him, too. The last time I saw them, they were avoiding each other like the plague,” Taecyeon chuckles. It was hilarious, really, to watch the usually bold Jinyoung panic and dart from wall to wall and even be reduced to hiding in Taecyeon’s tower for hours on end. “Who knows if they’ve made up or not,” 

“Damn. Now I really want to visit and see how our little Prince is fairing.” Taecyeon freezes, just the slightest bit, but his friends notice.

“You haven’t told him,” Chansung deadpans.

Taecyeon shakes his head, and the rest of them collectively sigh.

“It’s not an easy topic to bring up! You can’t expect me to just sit him down and go, ‘Oh! By the way, Jinyoungie, you used to be a Crown Prince and the only reason why you’re not one now is because of the exact Kingdom we’re living in!’ I can’t just  _ do that _ , guys,” Taecyeon points out, frowning. 

He’s frustrated about it enough as it is. It isn’t as if he  _ doesn’t  _ spend every single minute thinking about telling Jinyoung the truth at the back of his mind. It’s the one single thing that never fails to keep him up at night and he really could do without his friends questioning him about it.

“Alright. We trust you to do the right thing, hyung. You know we only ever want the best for Jinyoung, too,” Junho softly says, resting a hand on Taecyeon’s tense shoulder. The muscle immediately relaxes and Taecyeon huffs, nodding. 

“I’ll...I’ll think about it some. Can we eat now? I’m kinda starving and the rice smells as amazing as ever,” Taecyeon asks, practically begging with his eyes for them to drop the subject. 

Nickhun nods with an easy smile, patting Chansung and Min Jun to signal them to lay off. “Grab plates and utensils, I’m not your servant here. You kids should be old enough to take care of yourselves by now,” he jokes as he carries the pan of steaming hot rice over to the kitchen counter. 

“Yes, mom!” Min Jun feigns annoyance, earning a bout of laughter from the rest of them. And just like that, the mood changes and Taecyeon feels at ease and at home. 

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In Jaebeom’s Bedroom_ **

 

If this was what hell felt like, Jinyoung would gladly die a sinner. 

The intoxicating musk of Jaebeom’s shampoo mixed with the clean cotton sends lewd images of tangled silk sheets and purple blooming on white skin and Jinyoung isn’t big on religion but he prays to  _ God  _ they aren’t pressed too close for Jaebeom to feel anything. 

_ How on earth can someone be so painfully sincere yet downright seductive at the same time? This man should be illegal in all five Kingdoms of the region,  _ Jinyoung thinks as he tries his best not to breathe too deeply for the sake of his remaining dignity.

 Jinyoung has trouble even remembering what they were talking about. He registers that it’s his turn to say something by the way Jaebeom is boring into his soul but words fail to form on his tongue. 

And Jaebeom is  _ still  _ staring, still waiting on him. 

“I-I’m sorry.” Jinyoung thinks it’s the safest thing to go with. 

“I know you are. I’m sorry, too, but we can’t just keep apologising without actually ever talking it out and then expect things to be better, can we?” Jaebeom says without hostility but rather with kindness and the hint of a smile on his lips.

Jinyoung nods, swallowing the lump in his throat. 

He  _ knows  _ he should be saying more but he’s...afraid. The last time they tried talking things out resulted in an over-dramatic confession and ignoring each other for days. It would be nice to avoid that happening this time. 

He’s also fearful that he’ll pour his heart out and Jaebeom wouldn’t even bat an eyelash. He knows that they aren’t friends, barely close enough to be considered somewhat housemates, and the thought of his feelings being treated as  _ nothing _ scares him so much that he wants to curl up into a ball and die. 

Jaebeom's voice cuts his train of thoughts, sucking him back to reality. "Jinyoung?" Said man looks up at the Prince, blinking in a daze. "We don't have to talk about this, y' know? I-" Jaebeom bites his lip, reconsidering his words. "It's perfectly fine if we want to leave it here. You apologised for ignoring me, that suffices,"

The words tumble out of his mouth before he can process them. “No-! Let me-” Jaebeom stares at him, taken aback by the sudden outburst. Jinyoung had also grabbed his retreating hand in the process, effectively pulling Jaebeom closer. 

Jinyoung clears his throat, trying again. “Let me explain myself, please, Your Highness?” Jaebeom nods, letting his hands fall limp at his sides as Jinyoung lets go to wipe his palms on his pants. 

_ You can do this. Don’t think, just let the words come to you. You owe this to the Prince for all the trouble you’ve caused,  _ Jinyoung tells himself. Inhaling deeply, he looks at Jaebeom with as much courage he can muster.

“I want to understand you, Your Highness. Not just for the sake of the engagement but genuinely because I feel... _ compelled  _ by you. I know it sounds ironic since all I’ve been doing is arguing with you but- but I am,” Jinyoung stutters, not daring to meet Jaebeom’s eyes.

“I just think you’re unique in the way you behave with your family and friends - even the servants are at ease around you. You are your mother’s beloved step-son who lets your cheeks be pinched and kissed, but you are also Jackson’s loyal and dependable companion. Yugyeom talks about you as if you’re his aspiration sometimes and even Youngjae smiles up at you with the same love he would have for a brother. You are all of these, yet your own person at the same time,”

“You had a strong front on the night we met and you’ve always been so guarded around me yet you followed me into the gardens out of your own will to apologise. “Why?” 

“Why?” Jaebeom repeats, dumbstruck. Jinyoung nods, anticipating. 

“We- well...you deserved it. I had been an asshole and a hostile host, not even bothering to assess the situation from your perspective. You gave up your dream to be here just so a useless Prince could become King yet that same royal brat had been making life a living hell for you. Of course, I had to apologise. I might be slow to understand but I do have manners,” Jaebeom smiles as easily as he calls himself useless, but Jinyoung gets the sense that it wasn’t the first time Jaebeom has heard that label.

“You’re not useless, Your Highness,” Jinyoung avers, meeting Jaebeom’s eyes for the first time since the start of the whole conversation. 

Jaebeom laughs his solemnity off simply with a wave of a hand, but Jinyoung catches that hand and tugs it so that Jaebeom is looking at him. “I’m being earnest, Your Highness. I would never say something like this to deride you. Please don’t think of yourself as useless,” 

Jaebeom sighs, ineffectually trying to tug his hand out of Jinyoung's grip although he hardly puts in an earnest effort to. "I can't even rise to the throne on my own accord. I have to be  _ married  _ to someone before I am deemed suitable. Does that not mean my hand is more important than me coming of age and being fit to rule?” 

Jinyoung’s eyebrows furrow, his forehead creasing deeply. “You’ve been feeling like this the whole time?” 

Jaebeom hesitates to nod - Jinyoung can practically see the cogs turning in his brain as he weighs his options - but he does with resignation that Jinyoung recognises in himself. 

It’s the kind of resignation that only comes when you have nowhere else to go, no way to avoid the problem at hand any longer and what you’re left with is the inevitable - the truth. 

Jinyoung has  _ hated  _ that feeling for his whole life. 

Without thinking, he closes the distance between them and wraps his arms around Jaebeom, throwing any caution and care for the world he had left out of the window. The Prince's body goes taut immediately, jerking enough for Jinyoung to loosen his grip but not pull away yet.

“I’m sorry that you’ve been made to feel that way, Your Highness. If it’s any comfort, I don’t think you’re unworthy of your title at all. You’re a natural leader who cares for his people -  _ awfully  _ so, to the point that you would give up any sort of royal status - and you don’t let anyone sway you in your decisions. Anyone can see that. If anything, you are the most suitable successor to the throne that any king could ask for,” 

“Jinyoung, you don’t have to-”

“I mean it. Please stop assuming that I do not. I’m a wizard, we hardly bother about comforting other people with useless honeyed words,” Jinyoung points out, hoping that it works in lightening the mood.

It fulfils its purpose when Jaebeom's shoulders shake with a chuckle that he releases in warm breaths against Jinyoung's neck. The tingling sensation down Jinyoung's spine should not make his heart rate pick up its pace, but it does. Jinyoung brushes it aside for later pondering over. 

"You should appreciate my decision to show you my kindness and generosity before I start ignoring you again, Your Highness. This phenomenon happens only once in a blue moon for me and it won't last long, so please stop laughing at me as if I've just cracked a joke," Jinyoung says, half-serious half proud of cheering Jaebeom up.

“With you speaking like that? Not a chance, Jinyoung,” Jaebeom laughs, boyish and untethered by the pre-existing weight on his shoulders. His grip is loose on Jinyoung’s waist and so is Jinyoung’s hold on his shoulders, but the intimacy is still present and Jinyoung wants to bask in this unfamiliar but welcomed warmth for as long as he can.

“I personally take offence to that, Your Highness. My opinion of you being kingly may change if you continue to insult me like this whilst I’m attempting to cheer you up.” Jinyoung smiles - more of an amused tilt of his pink lips - but it’s there. 

The statement sends Jaebeom bursting into another bout of loud, prehistoric-like laughter, his body bending forward to rest on Jinyoung’s. His messy bangs rest to Jinyoung’s left shoulder and the strands tickling his sensitive neck make Jinyoung blush. The way Jaebeom’s whole frame almost wraps around Jinyoung due to the broadness of his shoulders should  _ not _ be so domestically endearing but it is. 

_ Come on, Park Jinyoung. Stop it. You know you shouldn’t be doing this for both of your own goods,  _ Jinyoung strictly warns himself. 

_ But you can’t help it, can you?  _ A voice in his head says, wicked and sly and so. very.  _ right.  _

Not when the Prince is all warmth and soft smiles and laughter - the best kind where Jinyoung  _ knows  _ it’s genuine. Not when Jinyoung hasn’t experienced this since  _ forever _ . Thanks to his extensive reading of novels consisting of a little too much of romance than he’d admit, he at least has a guess what this might lead up to. But of course,  being the stubborn little man that he is, he would rather be sent to hell than even  _ think  _ of that possibility. 

“Your sense of humour is surprising, I must admit. Your kind words touch my heart, good sir,” Jaebeom declares with a horrible attempt at an old Victorian accent and Jinyoung would have snorted had Jaebeom not given him the sweetest smile right after to show his sincerity.

“Although, stop it with the ‘Your Highness’ when we’re alone. I think we both know that you hate having to address me like that in the first place,” Jaebeom says with a brilliant grin that makes Jinyoung feel as if he’s just stared straight into the sky and saw an angel descending upon him.

And Jaebeom is still so close and painfully inviting.

Jinyoung is gonna lose his mind and he blames it all on his twenty-year-old hormones. 

“Are you certain that’s okay? I can be very annoying when you give me privileges like that,” Jinyoung points out, slipping a hand off of Jaebeom’s shoulder to point at the Prince.

Jaebeom chuckles again, letting his hands slide off as he naturally brings them to rest on his hips. “I’m certain. Besides, I better get used to you calling me that if we’re going to pull off this marriage, right?” 

It comes like a stab to the chest - cold and sharp and oh-so-painful as if an icicle had penetrated his bare skin and muscle, straight into his beating heart.  _ Right. A fake marriage, just friendship for the sake of pulling it off. Don't get too whisked up in this pretence,  _ Jinyoung glumly reminds himself.

“Of course, Jaebeom. Speaking of marriage, I overheard the King and Queen whispering during dinner earlier about the date of the wedding. At the rate of your mother’s excitement, I suggest we start thinking of our grand plan to escape it soon because I have a gut feeling that our wedding will be pushed to be before the end of Spring,” 

Jaebeom’s eyes go comically wide, a hand dropping to rest at his side. “ _ You  _ were eavesdropping on my parents?”

Despite the sweet moment they had shared not more than a few minutes ago, Jinyoung rolls his eyes and sighs. “The main point of it is that the wedding might be sooner than we expected and that you and I,  _ Your Highness,  _ have to start coming up with a plan,” 

“I understand that but still, you? I assumed you were a goody-two-shoes,” Jaebeom says, smug for a reason that Jinyoung doesn’t bother guessing. 

“I grew up with Taecyeon as my guardian. The only thing remotely close to a rule was privacy when he had a woman home and that was when I was at the young, innocent age of sixteen,” Jinyoung does snort this time, though a fond smile plays on his lips when Jaebeom laughs. 

“Alright, then. I suppose you aren’t that boring after all,” Jinyoung narrows his eyes at Jaebeom and shoots him a deadpanned look. 

“I’m kidding. How about we meet tomorrow after breakfast? I mean, we won’t really have to  _ meet  _ per se but you- you get what I mean, right? I could give you a tour of the place while we plan since I  _ do  _ kind of owe you one as your host,” Jaebeom coyly says. 

Heat rises to Jinyoung’s neck, spreading all the way around to his face and he prays to God that the pink on his cheeks isn’t visible. The sun, thankfully, is almost completely hidden by the hills and mountains of Paean, bordering on Alstroemeria Woods. 

The sunset that once painted Jaebeom’s room in gold is now gone, leaving them in blue fading to darkness. Time has passed unknowingly quickly since Jinyoung had entered Jaebeom’s room and Jinyoung finds himself not wanting to leave just yet.

If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine it. Both of them with books in their hands, claiming separate corners of the room or even the bed -  if Jinyoung was being honest about his desires - spending the time in companionable silence. Occasionally, one of them would exclaim to the other about a plot twist of sorts and Jinyoung would gladly listen to Jaebeom go on and on about whatever the character had just done as long as it kept the older happy. 

However, the daydream is cut short but the sourness of the truth - this is temporary. They may become friends but for what cause? To pull off a marriage that neither of them wants any part in. It turns the perfect image in Jinyoung's head black and bitter, and he bites his tongue. 

“Then I shall see you tomorrow, Jaebeom,” Jinyoung says, smiling in a way he hopes isn’t tight and as bitter as it feels. Jaebeom doesn’t seem to pick it up and grins back at Jinyoung, which only serves to make the Wizard’s heart clench.

“See you tomorrow, Jinyoung. Have a good rest,” Jaebeom bids, unexpectedly enveloping Jinyoung in a hug the same way the younger had earlier. His heart thumps wildly against his ribcage as if it wanted to escape and visit Jaebeom’s, and Jinyoung  _ swears  _ the Prince can feel it, too. 

He wraps an arm around Jaebeom's waist, unsure if he would rather endure the sweet torture of this or escape to the privacy of his own quarters where he can suffer from thoughts of musky scents and warmth. Thank the heavens, the hug is short and sweet and Jinyoung is out of the room soon enough, Jaebeom giving him a little wave through the gap before the heavy wooden door falls shut with a soft click. 

The young Wizard finds himself back where he was an hour ago, outside of the same  _ darned  _ door that he had been so afraid of knocking on. Oddly enough, the fear hasn’t gone away. It’s joined by excitement and dread and so many stupid feelings all at once, whirring in Jinyoung’s heart and making him feel so  _ tired _ that he might just collapse. 

It scares him how the dynamics have shifted yet again between them, though for the better this time. It makes him happy, of course. Despite that, he has an annoying gut feeling that somewhere along the line the two of them would walk together, someone would get hurt and it would be him.  

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Dining Hall_ **

 

Sleep hadn’t come easy to him that night after Jinyoung had left his room; the same never-ending tossing and turning before falling into a fitful sleep as the days before. He made his way into the dining hall half asleep, his feet dragging on the marble. 

“You look like a zombie, hyung,” Yugyeom laughs, pointing at Jaebeom’s eye bags that only seemed to grow deeper and darker each day. Jaebeom scowls, subconsciously touching his face and feeling for the signs of fatigue that Yugyeom had been talking about. Jackson chuckles at Jaebeom’s confused look as he feels around his face blindly, even Jinyoung hides a smile behind a hand. 

“Let’s just have breakfast, please. I’ll get some sleep later on,” Jaebeom hastily says, taking a seat next to Jinyoung. He can  _ feel _ Jackson’s and Yugyeom’s eyes on them, especially when Jinyoung pushes a freshly brewed cup of tea in his direction with a smile. 

Jaebeom nods his thanks, smiling back warmly even though the said man was the cause of his insomnia for the past few days. 

 The thoughts that occupied him last night while he was lying in bed had been admittedly more of just Jaebeom daydreaming about situations that he should not be even thinking of. For example, what would have happened if one of them had simply tripped while Jaebeom was so courageously pressing Jinyoung against the bookshelf?

He kept replaying the scene in his head - Jinyoung's determined but shy expression, his full pink lips and wide, soft eyes that Jaebeom finds himself getting constantly lost in. At that moment, in the privacy of his room, he had wanted so  _ desperately  _ to simply pull Jinyoung close and kiss him there and then. 

He had thought about it and blushed while he was unable to sleep last night, pushing the thought aside as an 'in the heat of the moment' thing. However, his traitorous mind had used that thought and cooked up a storm of scenarios in Jaebeom's mind that had left him hot and bothered and more than embarrassed in his own bed. 

He recalls them even now - Jinyoung’s milky, unmarked skin that called to Jaebeom like bears to honey, bared open to him under the moonlight. Thick lips and hot breaths and sweet touches; the  _ sounds  _ the younger would make if Jaebeom pushed the right buttons to leave him pliant and wanting. 

But of course, Jaebeom knows better than to even consider thinking of Jinyoung in any way more than just a  _ partner  _ for the sake of the arrangement. It would only lead to him being caught up in a torturous one-sided, wishful-thinking situation that he would definitely like to prevent. If he was honest, the interest he had in Jinyoung was already a little more than he’d like it to be but it couldn’t be helped when Jinyoung was such an alluring addition to his life. 

Deep down, he’s also afraid of something even more than being in a one-sided relationship. What would Jinyoung think of him if he discovered Jaebeom’s thoughts about him? Would he be disgusted? Would the wizard even look at him the same way anymore? Jaebeom thinks that out of all the possible reasons why he would be afraid, Jinyoung no longer seeing him as a good and worthy king, a  _ person,  _ would be the scariest. 

Neither does he know why, nor what that makes of him. 

He chews his food slowly and thoroughly, spending a good minute on a single mouthful of bread. Jinyoung is calm and as regal as always next to him, making Jaebeom feel more like a peasant next to the Crown Prince. He sneaks a look at the brunette, taking in the way Jinyoung gracefully sips on his cup of tea and his pretty, wet lips. He blushes before he knows it, quickly darting his eyes back to his own plate.

Across him, Yugyeom is analysing his older brother’s movements with narrowed eyes as he munches on his own piece dipped in jam and melted butter. Yugyeom then eyes Jinyoung, who is attentively listening to Jackson chattering about how he came to Paean from his home. 

Abruptly, he clears his throat and gently kicks Jackson under the table right in the shin. Thankfully, the royal advisor only grits his teeth and smiles at him with a warning in his eyes. The young prince flashes him a bright grin in return, saying, “I heard from Jinyoung hyung that you’re bringing him on a tour today. I suggest starting early so you can make it back in time for lunch. Mark hyung is dropping by again,”  

"Oh? Mark hyung is visiting?" Jaebeom is taken aback when he hears the words 'Mark hyung' fall so easily from Jinyoung's lips while he struggles to even get the younger to call him by his name. Something in him sours, but he swallows it down. 

Jackson nods, visibly excited now that the topic of Mark has been brought up. “He’ll be arriving at noon so it would be good if we could all have a meal together.” Jackson beams. Jaebeom wonders how two people can be so obviously tailored for each other yet be blind to every single sign right smack in front of them. 

( He also wonders if Jinyoung has someone tailored for him out there, too. It makes him realise yet  _ again _ that he doesn’t know much about Jinyoung’s love life, or about the younger at all. )

"Then I guess we should be on our way." Jinyoung smiles at Jaebeom, his eyes crinkling at the sides into tiny, cat-like whiskers and the sourness instantaneously melts away. Jaebeom nods, grabbing a piece of bread already slathered with jam and stuffing it into his mouth, before standing up with Jinyoung. The two bid goodbye to Yugyeom and Jackson, both of them shooting Jaebeom winky and kissy faces respectively. Jaebeom scowls at them as best as he can with his cheeks stuffed full like a squirrel while Jinyoung doesn't notice and leads them out of the dining hall.

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Royal Library_ **

 

Once the familiar scent of old books hit him, Jinyoung immediately feels at ease. Growing up, he hadn't had anyone to play with other than Taecyeon and even the older wizard would grow tired of keeping up with a sixteen-year-old's boundless energy.  Hence, it had left Jinyoung needing to find a way to occupy himself instead of idly sitting around at home. He had found that escape from boredom in the form of books, which seemed to captivate him almost as much as magic did. 

The Royal Library was unlike any other library Jinyoung had ever come across. Shelves and shelves of books that reached all the way up to the ceiling with a spiral staircase right smack in the middle of the room that led to another level above them. Natural light streamed in through large, glass windows opposite the door, the sheer white curtains shifting with the wind every now and then. There was a bay window seat by the glass, comfortable cushions stacked up against each other on the red velvet. 

The thing that caught his attention most, however, was a cat. 

It was pure white with eyes like jewels, its pupils dilating as it caught sight of them. Gracefully, it hopped off the seat and came to greet Jaebeom. Jinyoung watched in awe as Jaebeom  _ cooed,  _ bending down to scratch the feline’s chin with his fingers until the furry thing purred in delight. Subconsciously, Jinyoung bent down to further observe the cat. 

It gave him one look, head tilting ever so slightly, before turning its head and striding off. Jinyoung’s jaw opened and he touched a hand to his chest in offence, making Jaebeom chuckle.

“Don’t take it too hard. Belle isn’t the most friendly, even to Yugyeom or Youngjae. She likes Bambam, though. Jackson, on the other hand, not so much,” Jaebeom smiles as he offers a hand to Jinyoung, who takes it and stands. 

“I didn’t know you liked cats,” Jinyoung says.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, Jinyoung,” Jaebeom says it easily without any hidden meaning, and Jinyoung is grateful for the lack of implication. “Belle was a stray Bambam found in the garden about three years ago. She was all muddy and had a limp back then - we think she got injured while trying to get into the aviary - and she’s been living here ever since,” Jaebeom fondly speaks as they both watch Belle jump back up to the seat. 

“Does she always stay in the library? I’ve never seen her anywhere in the palace. Also, I didn’t know there was an aviary in the palace,” 

“We do have one but it’s not much since hardly anyone visits it. Belle was probably there to look for mice. She likes the sun during the day but she’s mostly curled up in the kitchen at night or with Bambam. She’s especially fond of him rather than me, so she’ll usually look for him in the servants’ quarters, ” Jaebeom replies with a smile. 

"I really like the library. Are all the books here yours?" Jinyoung asks. There were hundreds of books stacked neatly on the shelves and he could imagine himself sitting here and reading every day. The fantasy of him and Jaebeom reading together pops up again in his head like an annoying bug and it takes all his self-control to not smack himself in the head. 

"Most of them are. There are also books on Paean's history, remember those I'd given to you when you still had your lessons? Speaking of, we should probably start on those again. There are bound to be parties and balls coming up and it would be embarrassing if you went there clueless about everything," 

“I was hoping those were over for good. It was hell having you as my teacher, especially since I disliked you so much,” Jinyoung says without thinking. He regrets it the moment the words leave his lips, hoping Jaebeom wouldn’t take it to heart. 

The Crown Prince, however, laughs it off. “I disliked you too but it’s better now, isn’t it? We’re better now, right?” 

Jinyoung nods, letting out a breath in relief.  _ It feels nice to hear him say that,  _ he thinks with a tilt of his lips.  _ Perhaps things will be better from now on, as long as I don’t get too caught up in them,  _ he adds as a reminder. 

Jaebeom had walked off without him knowing and the older now beckons him over to a shelf with a book in hand and a grin on his perfect face. The warmth blooms again in Jinyoung’s chest and he finds himself anticipating the rest of the day with the Prince. 

 

* * *

 

**_In the Kingdom of Paean, In the Aviary_ **

 

“The plants here are so... _ empty _ ,” is the first thing Jinyong says as soon as he steps into the aviary. Jaebeom cocks his head, confused.

“As a wizard, our magic is very much related to nature because the energy we draw comes from the environment around us. There’s hardly any energy in this place other than the birds,” Jinyoung points out, frowning. He touches a hand to a nearby flower, a peony, and Jaebeom watches in amazement as the once faded pink flushed into a vibrant coral. 

“Could you...could you do that once more?” Jaebeom shyly requests, peeking his head out from behind Jinyoung, right next to his face. “I’ve never seen magic up close before,” he hastily adds, afraid that he would offend the wizard.

Jinyoung, on the other hand, smiles as if he had struck the lottery and won a pot of gold. He happily obliges by producing his wand from his pocket - Jaebeom hadn’t even  _ known  _ he had his wand the whole time - and tapping it lightly on the tip of a leaf of a nearby wilting plant.

The wrinkled dark green leaves lined with brown spots and drooping purple flowers immediately blossomed to life. Not only did the appearance of the plant improve, so did the scent of it. Jaebeom could smell the fresh sweetness of the hyacinth, a little strong for his taste but nonetheless impressive. 

He had known Jinyoung was a good wizard from the show he had put on during his birthday ball - all the fire and ice and showy sparkles that Jaebeom had had no mind to pay interest to. This, however, was different. This felt more like the type of magic Jinyoung would do. A fairly modest yet beautiful and captivating process on its own - very much like Jinyoung himself. 

_ And isn’t he looking just fine today?  _ the voice is Jaebeom’s head suggestively points out. Jaebeom quickly tells it to shut up and piss off, but he can’t  _ lie  _ and say that he  _ hasn’t  _ noticed the subtle changes Jinyoung had made to his appearance ever since he had started living in the castle.

For example, his hair. It hadn’t been this styled a week ago but now, Jaebeom can clearly see the carefully combed and twirled strands sitting neatly atop Jinyoung’s head. His clothes, as well. He had been wearing Jaebeom’s old clothes for the first few days but now, he was clad in his own tailored shirt and pants, both showing off his cinched waist and built arms. 

And in the sunlight of the aviary, with the birds chirping in the distance and the flora and fauna surrounding them, Jaebeom can't help but feel as if he's existing in fantasy and Jinyoung is some sort of ethereal, magical being that he's been enchanted by. 

In that moment of him being entranced by Jinyoung’s perfect eyebrows and full lips, Jinyoung called out to him and Jaebeom was snapped out of his daydream by the sheer embarrassment of being caught staring. 

Jinyoung, thankfully, doesn’t bring it up. “I didn’t know you had an interest in magic. I assumed all normies had some sort of hatred for us, especially because of the old war,” 

Jaebeom blinks, trying hard to get his brain to function again after being distracted.  _ War? Wizards, normies...war….right!  _

“That was at least a decade ago, Jinyoung. How’d you know about it?” Jaebeom asks, suddenly interested in even a little hint of Jinyoung’s past. He knows for sure Jinyoung and Taecyeon are not related so the part about Jinyoung’s family had always been a big question mark whenever he’d thought about the younger’s personal life. 

( Which was, admittedly, an embarrassing amount. ) 

“I’d grown up hearing tales of war from Taecyeon hyung. Whenever we trained in the field or even at home making potions, he’d tell me how he had fought on the frontlines of the war for the wizards. He was loyal to the King back then and served him as some sort of General? I’m not sure about what his role was,”

“I wouldn’t know anything about it, of course. Taecyeon hyung said he had found me at the harbour when he was about to leave and dragged me along with the rest of his friends. We’ve been together ever since and well… I’ve never-” Jinyoung pauses, swallowing hard before forcing a chuckle out. “I can’t even remember anything from before I met Taecyeon hyung, so he’s basically the only family I’ve ever had in my life,”

Jinyoung had this small, forlorn smile on his face as he cast his gaze somewhere else away from Jaebeom. It pained the Prince to see Jinyoung in that state, not even a shadow of a smile on his face. Desperately, he wanted to alleviate the younger's sorrow and suffering but he didn't know how to. 

_ Saying something would be as useful as not doing anything at all, wouldn’t it?  _ Jaebeom thinks glumly to himself as he helplessly watches Jinyoung roll his wand between his fingers. An air of gloom and uncomfortableness had settled between them at the mention of this subject, and Jaebeom wishes he hadn’t asked in the first place. 

_ Just say something, you dumbass. Anything would be better than nothing at this point because saying nothing would lead to the both of you shut in on yourselves for the rest of the morning and you know where that will bring you? Back to where you started - miserable square one,  _ the voice in his head states matter-of-factly. 

Jaebeom knows its right and that he  _ should  _ be the one saying something at this juncture where things could go either very bad or very well. He has to say the right thing and has to mean it -  he would  _ hate  _ himself if he were to hurt Jinyoung in any way. 

“You have us, now, if that’s any comfort. You have Yugyeom and Bambam to annoy you, Jackson and Mark to provide you with the best advice there is around here and Youngjae to cheer you up whenever you have a bad day,” Jaebeom pauses, hesitating before adding a small, “You have me, too,” 

“Jaebeom, I-” Jinyoung halts in his words, features softening into an unreadable expression that makes Jaebeom nervous.

_ Did he mess up? God, he did, didn’t he? Why on earth did he add that last part, it isn’t as if Jinyoung should be  _ honoured  _ by his company or anything. In fact, he’s the one who feels like he’s being graced by the presence of an angel every day.  _

“I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but I’m really glad that you’re here.” The words are very carefully chosen; Jinyoung chews on his bottom lip right after he says them, as nervous as Jaebeom was. 

It treads on a very  _ thin  _ line in Jaebeom’s heart and his heart gives a wild leap in his chest, stealing his breath away. He doesn’t know what to think of the simple statement. 

Does it mean that Jinyoung enjoys his company? Or could it mean he’s thankful that it’s Jaebeom instead of some other snobbish, self-obsessed noble? Does it mean that Jinyoung actually likes him as a person or does he only prefer Jaebeom because he’s the best among the worst? 

It leads him to the same burning question that had run through his mind for the whole of last night - does Jinyoung like him as a person?

More importantly - what does that matter to him?

In all honesty, Jaebeom has not a single clue about all of this. He isn’t good at sorting out his feelings, much less  _ guessing  _ someone else’s. Even if he knew the answer to these questions, where would it lead him? He couldn’t  _ possibly  _ do anything about it, could he? Not with the  _ Grand Plan _ and  _ fake wedding  _ bullshit. 

So, naturally, he shoves everything deep into a corner of his heart where he likes to store problems he’d rather not deal with at the moment or at all. ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’ is a good motto that Jaebeom follows, albeit a little  _ too much  _ for it to be deemed a healthy coping mechanism. Either way, he flashes Jinyoung the biggest, goofiest smile he can muster without it looking too endearing in reply. 

“I’m honoured, then. Y’know, I can’t say that I understand your pain because well...I still have my father with me but…” he awkwardly scratches his nape, tugging at the collar of his shirt with a finger. 

“I lost my mother, too. I was too young and too caught up in my own world to remember much of it, but she had fallen gravely ill when she reached her forties. My father says she was still as loving as ever, even when she had to be quarantined due to fear of the sickness spreading. She’d visit me every single day in my room with a book to read me until I fell asleep,”

“I suppose that’s how my love for literature came about. The books in the library belonged to her once, before they were passed down to me. And now, they’re my biggest comfort in the whole castle,” Jaebeom says with a laugh. 

“My point is - even if you don’t remember anything about your family, a part of them will always be with you. You might not see it yet, but you’ll find it one day. It’ll be as simple as you mixing up a potion and Taecyeon-ssi going ‘Oh Jinyoung, you remind me so much of your father sometimes.’” Jaebeom says, trying his best to imitate Taecyeon’s rich, slightly accented voice. 

Jinyoung laughs for the first time that day - melodious and hidden behind a shy hand. Jaebeom instantly feels accomplished and grins. “Trust me when I say that when that moment comes, you’ll be happier than you’ve ever been. So don’t feel too down about it, Jinyoung. It doesn’t make you any less of the great wizard you are now,”  

“Thank you,  _ Your Highness _ . I’m equally honoured to be in your company for the next few months.” Jinyoung sweeps into a half-bow, a mischievous smile on his face. Jaebeom clicks his tongue, unable to hide the endearing curve of his lips as Jinyoung bursts into embarrassed laughter at himself. 

“Your rotten sense of humour strikes again, I see. I wonder if it’s a side effect of being magical. Even Taecyeon-ssi seems to be a fan of sarcasm,” Jaebeom says.

Jinyoung taps a finger on his chin, lightly running the tip of his forefinger along his bottom lip. Jaebeom’s traitorous eyes trail the motion, lingering even after Jinyoung starts speaking again. “I don’t think it’s a wizard thing, maybe a side effect of hanging around each other? We’re both quite the assholes and my personal favourite way to piss him off is to poke fun at him,” 

“So, Park Jinyoung is secretly an asshole just like I am, then? Because I clearly remember someone calling me that while we were arguing just last week,” Jaebeom points out, shooting Jinyoung a jokingly accusing look. 

"Then I suppose you need help with your memory, Jaebeom. I have just the potion for that if you'd like. For free this time, unlike the one in exchange for your book." Jinyoung grins, waving his wand right in front of Jaebeom's face. The Crown Prince goes cross-eyed staring down the tip at Jinyoung. 

“Oh! Speaking of…” Jinyoung exclaims before Jaebeom can shoot back another reply to keep the banter going. He watches in mild confusion as the younger produces a small, blue vial from his pocket. ( Where on earth Jinyoung has the space for a wand  _ and  _ a vial in those tight-fitting pants of his, Jaebeom has no idea. )

"Hold out your hand, please." Jaebeom obediently does so despite the worry creeping upon him. He's never experienced magic being used on him before, and the fact that Jinyoung is now cupping his hand with his own does nothing to calm the loud beating of his heart. 

The liquid in the vial is cold and tingly when Jinyoung carefully pours it on his outstretched palm. It appears to be vibrant indigo at first glance but Jaebeom notices a holographic shine to it upon closer inspection. As Jinyoung touches his hand to the tip of Jaebeom's thumb, the Prince watches in fascination as the liquid seeps into his veins, the blood vessels momentarily glow white and then purple before returning to their original turquoise shade. It feels ice-cold for that instant before the sensation fades along with the colour. 

“I-I remembered that you had problems sleeping so I brewed a potion early this morning before breakfast. I had been meaning to give it to you to mix into your drink later on during lunch or something but I figured you’d like to witness and experience a little bit of magic first hand,” Jinyoung hastily says as if he’s giving himself reasons to be doing this. 

The action is sweet nonetheless and it touches his heart that Jinyoung had thought of him even in the morning. It should put him on cloud nine to know that Jinyoung was starting to put in effort into forging their friendship, but why was there an underlying feeling of dread weighing heavily in his heart?  

He can’t ignore it no matter how hard he pushes it down or how deep into his heart he locks it away. The fact that  _ this  _ \- him and Jinyoung - was temporary, kept resurfacing and it never failed to send a wave of melancholia washing over him. 

He knows that the plan to escape the wedding was what they both wanted in the first place, knows that all Jinyoung wants is to be free and become a successful wizard that would be recognised for his own prestige. 

He also knows that it would be best if Jinyoung leaves lest he starts feeling more for the younger than he has ever felt for anyone in his life. Being sad over someone who was like an evanescent silver lining in this tortuous journey to ascending the throne was useless. 

However, he allows himself a little bit of melancholy and wonders if Jinyoung would feel the same. The Prince hopes he isn’t the only one feeling this way and that Jinyoung cares about him as much as he does for the younger. The heartache of being in any sort of one-sided relationship was as painful as having your heart punched. 

He would hate for Jinyoung to leave, but he realises that he would hate it even more for Jinyoung to leave and for him to be the only one wishing it was different. 

He realises that but what is a Prince to do when he has to bow before the throne and submit to his duties above his own happiness? 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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